The boyband richer than the Beatles: Seven years on from coming third on X Factor, One Direction are worth a quarter of a BILLION. So how DO they (and their glamorous girls) splash the cash?
- In seven years the One Direction boys have gone from students to millionaires
- Harry Styles has a fleet of cars worth around £700,000 and luxury pads in LA
- Wild Louis Tomlinson racked up £6,000 hotel bill after 'drinking the mini-bar dry'
- Zayn Malik, who dates model Gigi Hadid, splurged £7,000 on his 53 tattoos
Just seven years ago, they were schoolboys revising for their GCSEs and A-levels.
Today, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Liam Payne — collectively known as One Direction — are worth a staggering £262 million. That’s at least £50 million each.
This week, records filed at Companies House showed the X Factor graduates have sold ten shares in their firm 1D Media, netting them a cool £14 million each. Terrifyingly, all are 25 or under, with all five making the Sunday Times’ under-30 Rich List last year .
Back in the day: Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles (pictured from left to right) are each worth at least a cool £50 million
To put this into context, the Beatles had each made £1.1 million at a similar point in their careers. Even taking into account inflation, this works out at a comparatively paltry £16.7 million per Beatle.
In the process, the 1D quintet have grown rather more discerning. Gone are the Primark onesies and the Citroen C3s — the modest hatchback Irishman Horan learned to drive in — and in come the designer suits and luxury convertibles.
To the companies through which they funnel their earnings — 1D Media, Rollcall Touring and PPM — the money rolls in from music royalties, merchandising, touring and seven-figure endorsement deals.
Clemmie Moodie looks at how the band amassed such vast wealth — and what they have blown it on ...
New horizons: Next month Harry Styles releases his eagerly awaited debut single, after signing a three-album deal with Columbia Records
Harry Styles: The Hot One
Age: 23
Worth: £56 million
Once upon a time: Descended from Norfolk farm labourers, Styles grew up in Redditch, Worcestershire, later moving to Cheshire where he attended Holmes Chapel Comprehensive, just a few miles from the modest £400,000 three-bed family home.
Now: Styles’s classic good looks mean his future is bright. Next month he releases his eagerly awaited (if you’re a pre-pubescent girl) debut single, after signing a three-album deal with Columbia Records which is reportedly worth around £22 million.
As if that wasn’t enough, ladies’ man Harry — linked to everyone from supermodel Cara Delevingne to pop star Taylor Swift — is soon to play a soldier in World War II epic Dunkirk, alongside Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh. Should his Hollywood debut be a hit, Styles can expect to command up to £4 million per movie. Kerching!
Pricey: Harry recently put a six-bedroom LA villa (pictured) on the market for £6.4 million
The houses: The singer owns a £3.8 million home in North-West London and has already spent £500,000 on an extension and underground car park.
In 2012 he paid £590,000 for an apartment in East London and splashed out on a £600,000 four-bedroom pad in Cheshire for mum Anne.
Last year he sold a house in Beverly Hills for £2.5 million and has recently put a six-bedroom LA villa on the market for £6.4 million while he looks for another property out there. His current pad boasts floor-to-ceiling windows, a home cinema where he can watch himself in Dunkirk, and overlooks the Hollywood Hills.
The cars: The singer’s not-so-modest fleet includes a £155,000 Ferrari, a £100,000 Porsche 911 Sport Classic, a £90,000 Audi R8, an £8,000 Seventies Ford Capri, a £118,00 Jaguar E Type, a £105,000 vintage Mercedes Benz and a £90,000 Range Rover Sport.
The clothes: A fashion show regular, the adventurous Harry has been spotted in a £450 Alexander McQueen scarf and a £5,000 Gucci floral suit — which fans likened to a pair of curtains.
TRIVIA: A huge art fan, Styles is said to have paid £3 million on a Jean-Michel Basquiat painting auctioned at Christie’s in 2014. A year later he paid around £40,000 for two South African sculptures which he spotted while on tour in Cape Town. He also spent £26,500 on art by British artist Hayden Kays, whose playful pieces explore ‘love and sex’.
Don’t tell the bank manager: Styles once bought a lampshade costing £10,000!
Pictured: Louis Tomlinson
Louis Tomlinson: The Wild One
Age: 25
Worth: £50 million
Once Upon A Time: Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Tomlinson was a sixth-form student — failing his first year of A-levels — at state comprehensive Hall Cross School, when the X Factor came calling. Once worked as a Vue cinema usher.
NOW: The final member of One Direction to announce his solo career, his debut single Just Hold On went straight to number one and he is expected to dominate the electro-pop charts in coming years.
After training as an actor, Tomlinson is as comfortable on screen as he is behind a mic and last year enjoyed a guest judging slot on America’s Got Talent.
The houses: The 25-year-old splashed out £6 million on a four-bedroom mansion in the Hollywood Hills to be close to his one-year-old son Freddie, his child with ex-girlfriend Briana Jungwirth. He also has a swanky six-bedroom North London mansion, which he bought in 2012 for £2.25 million.
The cars: The supercar fan previously owned a Porsche Boxster, which he sold on eBay — complete with naff personalised number plate LT11 BOX — for £30,300. He currently drives an £85,000 grey Range Rover Sport.
The clothes: Seems to favour comfort over style — he was recently snapped in a blue £1,300 Vestments x Champions hoodie and tracksuit bottoms.
TRIVIA: Keen footballer Tomlinson had hoped to invest cash in his beloved hometown club Doncaster Rovers, but the deal fell through following a failed crowd-funding effort which was supposed to raise £2 million. He scraped together just £624,271. Three years ago, party-loving Tomlinson and Malik were filmed apparently sharing a cannabis joint.
Don’t tell the bank manager: Tomlinson reportedly racked up a £6,000 hotel mini-bar bill after drinking the fridge dry — and ordering 14 plates of chips.
Pictured: Cheryl Cole with partner Liam Payne. Despite their ten-year age gap, the baby-faced singer recently announced the birth of his first child, a son with former X Factor judge
Liam Payne: The Sensible One
Age: 23
Worth: £54 million
Once upon a time: Growing up in a £150,000 semi in Wolverhampton, Payne originally auditioned for the X Factor in 2008, aged 14 — his now girlfriend, Cheryl Cole, was one of the judges — before applying again two years later, and being cast as one fifth of One Direction.
NOW: Despite their ten-year age gap, the baby-faced singer recently announced the birth of his first child, a son, with Miss Cole. They boast a combined wealth of £75 million.
Now signed as a solo artist to the same management company as David Beckham, Doyen Global, Payne last year bagged a multi-million-pound deal with Capitol Records. Previously teetotal due to a kidney condition, he has compared himself to Take That’s Gary Barlow — in other words, the sensible (read: boring) one.
Fast cars: Liam learnt to drive in a Mercedes but now prefers a Lamborghini Aventador (pictured)
The houses: As well as a £7 million Los Angeles pad, he owns a £5.1 million five-bedroom Surrey mansion with a gym, media room and ‘jungle shower’ bathrooms. At Christmas, he spent £3,500 on decorations.
The cars: After learning to drive in an £19,000 Mercedes, Payne traded up to a £260,000 Lamborghini Aventador (right).
The clothes: Since meeting his pop-star girlfriend, he has upped his style game and was recently spotted in a £3,000 Balmain coat. Has a serious watch habit, and owns a £13,000 Hublot and a £3,000 Breitling timepiece.
Trivia: An ardent Harry Potter fan, he once blew an estimated £30,000 on the magical flying 1960 Ford Anglia — from the Chamber Of Secrets movie — which he keeps in his back garden.
Don’t tell the bank manager: Payne and Miss Cole turned down a £1 million magazine deal to announce their new arrival. Oh, and he was spotted sharing a Swarovski crystal-encrusted bottle of Goût de Diamants (Taste of Diamonds) at a friend’s birthday at London’s Funky Buddha nightclub, where it costs £465 a bottle.
Golden boy: Niall Horan, pictured, has become something of a heartthrob in America for his Irish accent and wholesome appeal
Niall Horan: The Wholesome One
Age: 23
Worth: £51 million
Once Upon A Time: Starting life in a tiny £65,000 house in Mullingar, Ireland, Niall saw his parents divorce when he was five. Attended Colaiste Mhuire, an all-boys’ Catholic school, and performed with his guitar at his local arts centre before getting his big break on the ITV talent show.
Now: One Direction’s golden boy thanks to his floppy blond locks and wholesome image, Horan is a bona fide heartthrob in America. After signing a six-figure record deal with Columbia Records in September, he is set to rake it in because he writes and performs all his own music — and wrote several of 1D’s (albeit less well-known) tracks.
The houses: Owns a £3.4 million Los Angeles home, a family house in his hometown and recently bought a stunning £6 million glass-fronted apartment in West London. His latest purchase comes complete with a penthouse cocktail bar, state-of-the-art gym and a spa.
Horan offered to buy his father Bobby a luxury home, but refreshingly the butcher, who works in a Tesco supermarket, insisted he was happy to stay put.
The cars: After passing his driving test in 2013, he bought a £70,000 Range Rover and has been seen in a £90,000 Ferrari.
The clothes: While less of a clothes horse than his bandmates, the boyish Horan’s recently sported a more sophisticated look to an awards show — a £940 Paul Smith checked suit — and made sure to thank the brand online.
Trivia: Known as the ‘thrifty’ one, Horan’s brother once said: ‘Niall doesn’t spend that much money or talk about money. It’s not a big thing in his life.’
Don’t tell the bank manager: The once wonky-toothed young star spent £2,300 on Invisalign braces, which wore for 15 months, and a further £350 getting his new pearly whites made whiter.
Moving on: Zayn Malik dated Perrie Edwards of girl band Little Mix but is now in a long-term relationship with model Gigi Hadid
Pictured: Zayn's girlfriend Gigi Hadid on the catwalk Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Runway in Grand Palais
Zayn Malik: The Brooding One
Age: 24
Worth: £51 million
Once upon a time: Malik grew up in an £80,000 rented home in a working-class neighbourhood in East Bowling, Bradford, with his three sisters and British Pakistani father, Yaser, and English mother, Tricia, attending a co-ed state school.
Now: After leaving the band before the official hiatus which has just begun, Malik was the first to release solo material, going straight to number one on both sides of the Atlantic with single Pillowtalk. His ongoing relationship with supermodel Gigi Hadid has further boosted his fame — and earning potential.
The houses: Five years ago he bought a £280,000 four-bedroom house in Bradford for his family, and even bought a £250,000 three-bedroom bungalow in Dorset for the mother of his ex, Perrie Edwards of girl band Little Mix — but is thought to have sold the house after they split.
In 2012, he paid £3.65 million for a futuristic five-bedroom house in Hertfordshire with chrome front doors, four bathrooms, wine cellar and an outdoor swimming pool. He also owns a £4 million London home and a sprawling £3.6 million apartment in LA.
The cars: He may not have a driving licence, but that hasn’t stopped him from splashing out on a Bentley Continental GT. As you do.
The clothes: Malik’s fashion nous is proving lucrative, after he recently put his name to a men’s footwear collection for Italian designer Giuseppe Zanotti. The ‘Zigi’ boots — fans’ nickname for Zayn and girlfriend Gigi — cost £950 a pair.
Trivia: With 53 tattoos at the last count, Malik’s ink habit has cost him around £7,000. He has also admitted to battling an eating disorder.
Don’t tell the bank manager: Malik likes to graffiti all his homes — not ideal when it comes to prospective viewings.
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