Liam Payne’s $29 Million Estate Bombshell: Why His 9-Year-Old Son Bear Becoming the Sole Beneficiary Has Sparked Heartbreak, Questions, and Fresh Curiosity Around the Late Singer’s Final Legacy as Fans Wonder What Comes Next for the Child He Left Behind

Liam Payne‘s son is the sole beneficiary of the late singer’s multi-million dollar estate, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.

The former One Direction star’s son Bear, 9, is the sole inheritor of $29,007,998 from the singer’s estate. While some of the money can be used now, the majority of it will be held in a trust until Bear turns 18 years old, according to the filing.

The One Direction alum, who died on Oct. 16 at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony, welcomed his first and only child with singer Cheryl. Back in May 2025, Cheryl was named the administrator of Payne’s estate, seven months after he died without a will.

Court documents issued on May 1 and obtained by PEOPLE officially named Cheryl and attorney Richard Mark Bray as the administrators of his estate.

At the time, the documents indicated that the gross value of the Payne’s estate in the U.K. amounted to $38 million, and the net value to about $32.2 million. Estates in the U.K. are typically issued to the deceased’s lawful spouse, or if they were not married, to their nearest blood relative, according to the United Kingdom government website.

The BBC reports that Cheryl, 42, and Bray will “manage the money, but they currently have limited authority and cannot distribute it.” The outlet also reported that should someone in the U.K. die without a will, their children will normally inherit the estate if there is no husband, wife or civil partner.

The former couple welcomed their son on March 22, 2017. Payne and Cheryl announced their son’s birth a few days after his arrival with a Polaroid shot of Payne cradling his son, which they both posted on Instagram.

“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,” Payne wrote. “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.”

Payne had previously admitted to PEOPLE that he “always wanted to be a young dad,” but fatherhood at a young age didn’t come easy. During a later interview in December 2020, he opened up further about how he had “to learn” to be a parent over time.

“I had my son at a young age, and you think it will be a magical thing, that you’re going to grow up one day into the person you’re supposed to be,” he told PEOPLE. “But it took a lot to find my footing. I figured, Dad takes care of everyone, that’s what he does, so my thing was to cook.”