Liam Payne's son Bear named sole beneficiary of late singer's $29 million estate

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND: Late singer-songwriter and former One Direction member Liam Payne’s son, Bear, has been named the sole beneficiary of his multi-million-dollar estate, according to court documents obtained by People.

Payne died on October 16, 2024 at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony, leaving behind his only child with singer Cheryl. The estate is valued at approximately $29 million, with most of the funds set to remain in a trust until he turns 18.

Cheryl appointed administrator of Liam Payne's estate after singer died without a will

In May 2025, Cheryl was officially named administrator of Payne’s estate, seven months after the singer died without leaving a will. Attorney Richard Mark Bray was also appointed as an administrator.

Court documents issued on May 1 and obtained by the outlet showed that the gross value of his estate in the United Kingdom amounted to approximately $38 million, while its net value stood at around $32.2 million. According to the UK government website, estates are generally passed on to a deceased person’s lawful spouse.

If the individual was not married, the estate is typically inherited by the nearest blood relative. The BBC reported that Cheryl and Bray will “manage the money, but they currently have limited authority and cannot distribute it.”

The outlet also noted that when a person in the UK dies without a will and has no husband, wife, or civil partner, their children would normally inherit the estate. They welcomed Bear on March 22, 2017, and announced their son’s birth several days later by sharing a Polaroid photograph on Instagram showing him cradling the newborn.

At the time, Payne wrote, “I'm incredibly happy to welcome our new baby boy into the world, it's a moment that I will never forget for the rest of my life and my favourite memory I have so far," and added, "I'm completely in awe of his incredible mother and how she has been the whole way through this, she's really made my dreams come true."

Liam Payne reflected on fatherhood and his bond with son Bear

Throughout the years, Payne frequently spoke about fatherhood and his close relationship with Bear. He previously said, “always wanted to be a young dad,” although he had not expected to find himself in that position so early in life.

Discussing the balance between family life and his career, he joked that when he was at home and being simply a father, while his work life looked very different. “When I’m at home, I’m a dad. Then when I [work], I see all these crazy things. I’ve been going by Dada Montana,” he said, referencing singer Miley Cyrus hit series Hannah Montana.

“It just goes by so quickly. He was already huge when he was born. I walked past a baby in the park and was like, ‘Mine was never that small!’ He was always massive,” he said of Bear.

Payne continued, “I look at him, like, ‘Where’s my little baby gone already?’ He’s walking around the house, pretending his teddy’s a phone. He’s awesome. And a lot of fun. I love spending time with him.” He also shared that Bear enjoyed listening to his music and especially reacted enthusiastically to the song 'Familiar.'

In a December 2020 interview with PEOPLE, he further reflected on parenthood, saying he had to learn how to be a father over time and "eventually found his footing by focusing on caring for his family, including cooking for them."