LIAM Payne revealed his guilt over spending money on himself and his determination to help with family debts before his tragic death.
One Direction star Liam tragically passed away in October last year at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
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Court documents released today show the singer died without writing a will – leaving behind £24.3million.
Yet in a poignant appearance on The Diary of a CEO podcast – now resurfacing in light of the court findings – Liam opened up about the lengths he went to in order to provide for his loved ones.
He told host Steven Bartlett in 2021: “Money is care and the ability to relax on certain things… Life’s gonna kick you in the nuts sometimes, and you’re gonna need something to help those around you.”
Liam reflected on his upbringing and early views on money, recalling a formative childhood moment in church when someone explained the promise behind a five-pound note.
“She said, ‘Have you ever read a five-pound note?’… ‘It says I promise to pay the bearer.’ I thought that was great.”
The Strip That Down hitmaker admitted he was “terrible” at treating himself and often abandoned online shopping baskets before checkout.
He joked: “I feel like I bought something. ‘Now that’s good.’ At least I did something fun with what I’m working my ass off for.”
However, he stressed that his earnings were never about personal luxury, but rather about providing security for his family – especially in the wake of past financial struggles.
Liam said: “In terms of things with my family and different things that have happened, like my dad’s debt, for all those sorts of different reasons, I’d rather have it on hand.”
“My family are the last people to ever ask me for anything, and I’m the first one to go, ‘This is why we do what we do.’”
Court documents show Liam left £28,595,000, which after expenses and debts were paid saw the figure reduced to £24,280,000.
The tragic singer died intestate, which means he didn’t leave a will stating what should be done with his money.
However, docs show the court has granted power of administration of his estate to Cheryl Tweedy, his former partner and mother of his eight-year-old son Bear.
Also named as an administrator is top music lawyer Richard Bray, partner in a London-based legal firm.
Under UK’s rules of intestacy, it is likely that the money will be placed in trust for Liam’s son, while his girlfriend at the time of his death, Kate Cassidy, will receive nothing as they were not married or in a civil partnership.
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This comes after the singer’s haunting final words were revealed by his girlfriend Katie – six months after his death.
The influencer, 25, has been candidly documenting her grief since the tragic event in interviews and on social media.
You can read Kate’s full chat with The Sun here.
She had been with him until two days before his passing.
In an appearance on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast, heartbroken Kate shared the comfort she finds in their final exchange.
Recalling the moment she left Buenos Aires to return to their home in Florida, Kate described the deeply emotional goodbye the couple shared.
She said: “I remember sitting there with him and I was going on and on and on about how much I love him.
“And he laughed and interrupted me and was like: ‘Kate you’re gonna miss your flight, your car is in the driveway.’”
Liam then added: “You’re acting like this is the last time you are ever gonna see me again.”
At the time, Kate said she laughed, unaware of what was to come.
She said: “But to look back in time and know that that was the last time I was ever gonna see him again is just so chilling.
“I am so blessed that it was that heartfelt goodbye. Our last goodbye – I wouldn’t have wanted it to be any differently. I am so glad we had that beautiful time together and I wouldn’t change that.”
In an interview with The Sun in March, she revealed his death “still doesn’t feel fully real”.
She added: “Love is so optimistic, and you just hope that everything will work out at the end.
“Obviously if I knew, if I could see into the future, I would never have left Argentina.”
Liam is survived by his son Bear, who he welcomed with singer Cheryl Tweedy in March 2017, after they had been dating for a year.
When they split the following year, Liam wrote: “We still have so much love for each other as a family. Bear is our world.”
He was co-parenting with the former X Factor judge, whom he met on the hit ITV1 talent show, and said he saw his son up to two to three times a week.
Liam walked hand-in-hand with his son in a final post with the lad he had once described as a “mini me”.
In the video, the singer ruffled his boy’s hair and, alongside a bear and a teary-eyes emoji, he wrote: “Bear is so tall.”
In a separate video in August, he said: “He’s getting so big now. He’s a big boy and he looks like a mini me. As if we needed any more me in the world.”
Meanwhile, in and interview with People in 2022, Liam gushed: “I make sure when I see him, he has 100 per cent of my time and I’m not d***ing around.
“I like to give him those moments and it’s important.
“He needs his dad in his life and I’m happy he looks at me like a superhero. I’m hoping to keep it that way.”
This comes as Liam’s tragic finals hours before he fell to his death were released in court documents earlier this month.
Rogelio “Roger” Nores and two staff members at the hotel had been charged with manslaughter but were cleared, it was revealed in February.
Liam Payne’s sad death
On October 16, 2024, Liam Payne sadly died, leaving family, friends and fans devastated.
Here we take you through the biggest stories to unfold since his tragic passing:
Liam James Payne was born August 29, 1993, and was an English singer and songwriter.
He shot to fame as a member of the global boyband phenomenon One Direction.
Liam made his debut as a singer when he auditioned for The X Factor in 2008.
After being eliminated as a solo artist he auditioned again in 2010 and was put into a group with four other contestants to form One Direction.
The band went on to sell 70 million records worldwide, making them one of the most successful boybands of all time.
They group parted ways in 2015, when they went on a hiatus.
Liam has amassed his fortune through being in One Direction, his solo career and touring.
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