Liam Payne’s 9-Year-Old Son Bear Named Sole Beneficiary of Late Singer’s $29 Million Estate

Liam Payne’s entire fortune has been passed down to his only child, Bear Grey Payne, according to court documents reviewed by People.

Payne, a member of the British group One Direction, died Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from a balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.

Argentine authorities determined that his death was caused by multiple traumas sustained from the impact of the fall. Toxicological reports later revealed that Payne had traces of alcohol, a prescription antidepressant, and several narcotics in his system at the time.

Bear, now 9, whose mother is British singer Cheryl Cole, a former judge on the U.K. talent competition X Factor, has been named the sole beneficiary of his father’s estate, valued at more than $29 million.

A portion of the inheritance is immediately accessible for his care, while the remainder will be held in trust until Bear turns 18.

​Following Payne's death, former One Direction bandmate Louis Tomlinson posted a tribute on Instagram that included a direct message to Bear. "I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me, I will be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was," Tomlinson wrote.

Payne was open about his struggles with mental health and addiction throughout his career, regularly sharing updates with fans about his recovery. Months before his death, he spoke about his son in a YouTube video and credited him as a source of motivation during the period.

"Time with Bear's been really, really great, honestly," Payne said. "More than anything, I want to say thank you to him and his mum for giving me a little bit of freedom to go and get well in that moment because I had to."

"There's no point in trying to be a dad when you've got nothing to teach, and I don't think up until this point, I really had much to say to him other than just [what] came from deeply and loving him very deeply," he added.

Payne also said in a separate June 2021 interview on the podcast The Diary Of A CEO that he would support Bear if he chose to pursue a career in entertainment, while also making clear he would want him to grow up on his own terms first.

"I want to give him a chance to be Bear first before he has to be, 'oh, you're mum and dad are so-and-so' and I made my choice to be where I was at 14, 15, so I figure he can make his own choice then, too.”

"I would never stop him from doing something he wanted to do. I'd let him know the risks, and I'd tell him what was going to happen,” Payne said.