Cheryl Tweedy gains control of Liam Payne’s £24m estate after his horror fall and no will left behind.
Liam Payne, the chart-topping One Direction star, died without leaving a will, throwing his £24.3 million fortune into legal uncertainty. The 31-year-old singer plunged to his death from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last October. Now, court documents have revealed that his former partner Cheryl Tweedy, with whom he shares a child, Bear, is legally tasked with handling the sprawling estate.
Tweedy, 41, a former Girls Aloud singer, was named an official administrator of Payne’s estate alongside music industry solicitor Richard Mark Bray. The pair are now responsible for overseeing the late star’s assets, which include properties, music rights, and other financial interests.
Under intestacy rules in England and Wales, Payne’s young son stands as a key beneficiary. Though Payne died without a will, legal provisions place his offspring in line for inheritance, with the child’s mother now controlling the financial reins. Tweedy may choose to place the entire estate in trust for Bear, though no formal decision has been made public.
The value of Payne’s estate was confirmed in legal filings. His gross worth, before deducting any outstanding debts or obligations, was listed at £28,594,888. After all liabilities were accounted for, the net estate settled at £24,279,728.
Tragically, Payne’s death was confirmed to have been the result of “multiple traumas” following the fatal fall. The postmortem detailed both internal and external haemorrhaging, consistent with injuries sustained in a high-impact drop. The incident occurred at the Casa Sur hotel, a well-known location in Buenos Aires.
An Argentine court investigated the circumstances surrounding the star’s sudden death. Five individuals were initially charged with criminal negligence, but by February, charges against three had been dropped. The court has not released any further public information regarding the remaining two individuals.
In the months following his death, Payne’s life and legacy have remained in the spotlight. The 2025 Brit Awards featured a moving video tribute. Fans and fellow artists watched clips of Payne performing with One Direction and footage from his early days on The X Factor, where his journey to fame began.
Payne first auditioned for The X Factor in 2008, when Cheryl—then known as Cheryl Cole—was a judge on the panel. Though he didn’t win that year, he returned to the show in 2010 and shot to fame as a member of One Direction. The band enjoyed global success, collecting seven Brit Awards before going on hiatus.
Following the group’s break, Payne ventured into a solo career. In 2019, he released LP1, his debut solo album. It included popular tracks such as “Strip That Down” featuring Quavo, “Polaroid” with Lennon Stella and Jonas Blue, and the duet “For You” with Rita Ora.
His relationship with Tweedy began in 2016 and lasted until 2018. Though the couple split, they continued to co-parent their son. Now, in the wake of Payne’s sudden death, Tweedy holds the responsibility of managing his legacy, both emotional and financial.
With no will left behind, the future of Payne’s fortune rests in the hands of the woman who once shared his life, and the son he left behind. The public, meanwhile, is left grappling with the loss of a pop icon whose life ended far too soon.
