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Simon Cowell Faces Backlash For Attending Liam Payne’s Funeral: “No One Is Holding Him Accountable”
Binitha Jacob
November 21, 2024 at 4:36 PM
Simon Cowell, the music mogul who played a pivotal role in catapulting One Direction to global fame, faced criticism for attending the funeral of former band member Liam Payne.
The private ceremony, held in Buckinghamshire, England, gathered the deceased singer’s closest friends and family to mourn the tragic loss of the 31-year-old singer.
Liam’s untimely death occurred following a fall from a third-floor balcony at the Casa Sur hotel in Argentina.
Liam Payne’s death, caused by a fall from a third-floor balcony in Argentina, sent shockwaves through his family, friends, and fans
Image credits: Liam Payne
Image credits: Liam Payne
The fatal incident left his family and fans reeling, with investigations into the circumstances delaying the return of his body to the UK.
Once back home, a heartfelt farewell and funeral was arranged for the late star.
Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik attended the funeral of their former band member and close friend.
Simon, 65, arrived at the ceremony accompanied by his partner and the mother of his child, Lauren Silverman.
Simon Cowell attended the private funeral in Buckinghamshire, which also brought together One Direction members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik
Image credits: Jonathan Brady/PA Images via Getty Images
Image credits: Karwai Tang / WireImage via Getty Images
Despite the America’s Got Talent judge’s long-standing connection to Liam and having mentored One Direction during their meteoric rise to stardom, his presence was met with fury online.
Fans took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express their outrage, with one user bluntly stating, “Simon Cowell shouldn’t be at Liam Payne’s funeral js.”
“Why is he there?” another questioned.
“Simon Cowell shouldn’t be at Liam Payne’s funeral,” said another.
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Despite his connection to Liam, the America’s Got Talent judge’s presence was met with harsh criticism online
Image credits: Simon Cowell
Image credits: Simon Cowell
One labeled his attendance “audacious.”
Using harsher words, another said, “He shouldn’t be there that f—— disgusting rat.”
“Simon Cowell didn’t comfort Liam’s family, he put them through this,” another said.
One went as far as saying: “Simon Cowell at Liam Payne’s funeral. No one is holding him accountable for how little he does to safeguard the young musicians he thrusts into the industry to line his pockets.”
Fans labeled his presence “audacious” and accused him of exploiting young musicians
“Simon Cowell, you are so disgusting! Seeing you been comforted by Liam’s parents made me sick to my stomach. F— off Simon, you were and are part of Liam’s pain,” another wrote. “I feel so frustrated. Will this ever end? Keep fighting for Liam. #JusticeForLiam.”
Others came to Simon’s defense, with one saying, “You have to stop bullying Simon Cowell. You know nothing about his relationship with Liam and his parents. Is disgusting to read all this hateful posts. Have some respect. #LiamPayne.”
“Why do people hate simon? wasn’t he the manager of 1d? which made liam’s career?” another asked.
Following Liam’s passing, Simon shared an emotional statement expressing his heartbreak and reflecting on Liam’s legacy
Image credits: Simon Cowell
Image credits: Simon Cowell
Image credits: Simon Cowell
“Why are you all being nasty about Simon Cowell being as a funeral, The funeral isn’t open to all , these people are invited, so your now saying Liam’s family are terrible for inviting Simon,” said another. “You people are a disgrace.”
This wasn’t the first time Simon was criticized after Liam’s tragic death. Fans accused him of using young artists for his personal gain and prioritizing profits over their mental well-being. Last month, the #JusticeForLiam hashtag was trending on social media, with some netizens pointing fingers at Simon for contributing to Liam’s addiction.
Following the singer’s passing, Simon broke his silence last month by saying, “Liam, I am truly devastated. Heartbroken. And I feel empty. And I want you to know how much love and respect I have for you. Every tear I have shed is a memory of you.”
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This Is the Salary You Need to Buy a $1M House
Home prices have appreciated at a staggering pace over the past few years, and million-dollar properties are becoming more commonplace than luxury. Here’s how much you should earn to afford a $1 million house.
The Salary You Need to Buy a $1M House
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Current mortgage rates and your available down payment will affect the salary required to afford a million-dollar home.
Key Takeaways
- You’ll likely need an annual salary of at least $250,000 to finance a $1 million dollar home with a 30-year mortgage, assuming a 20% down payment and low escrow costs.
- The income required to purchase a million-dollar home varies based on your location, loan amount, mortgage rate and other affordability considerations.
- It might take a jumbo loan to buy a $1 million home, depending on the property location and size of your down payment.
The idea of buying a million-dollar home might conjure up thoughts of Scrooge McDuck swimming in a pool of money, but seven figures just doesn’t go as far as it used to in today’s housing market. According to an August 2024 report from Redfin, a record 8.5% of U.S. homes are worth $1 million or more.
Whether you’re buying a sprawling ranch in rural Montana or a 600-square-foot condo in Manhattan, here’s the salary you need to afford a million-dollar home using a mortgage.
Read: Best Mortgage Lenders
Calculating the Monthly Payment on a $1M Home
The salary you need to buy a million-dollar home varies based on your monthly mortgage payment, which is influenced by factors like:
- Location. Where you buy a home directly impacts the cost of two main aspects of your monthly payment: property tax rates and home insurance rates. Your location also determines the type of mortgage available for a $1 million home. That’s because conforming loan limits, which are set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, are based on the property location. In some parts of the country, including high-cost cities like New York or states like Hawaii, you can buy a $1 million home with a conforming loan or even an FHA or VA mortgage. But in most of the U.S., you’ll need to take outa jumbo mortgage (or come prepared with a six-figure down payment).
- Down payment. When it comes to down payments, bigger is better. A conventional loan with less than 20% down usually requires private mortgage insurance, or PMI, which increases your monthly payment. Increasing your down payment helps you avoid PMI and save money every month. And putting more money down makes your loan more affordable. Putting 25% down on a $1 million home can save you $300 per month compared with 20% down – that is, if you have the spare $50,000 to pay up front.
- Current mortgage rates. The mortgage interest rate you pay drives your monthly payment and how much house you can afford. For example, the payment on a $800,000 home loan with a 30-year fixed repayment term is $526 higher at a 7% mortgage rate than a 6% rate. Some factors that determine your mortgage interest rate are within your control – like your credit score and debt-to-income ratio – but rates are also influenced by greater economic conditions.
The chart below shows what the monthly mortgage payment might look like on a $1 million home under two scenarios. These calculations assume a 30-year fixed-rate loan at a 6% mortgage rate.
| Lower Monthly Payment | Higher Monthly Payment | |
| Down Payment | 20% | 5% |
| Property Tax Rate | 1% | 3% |
| Homeowners Insurance | $300 | $750 |
| Private Mortgage Insurance | $0 | $900 |
| HOA Fees | $0 | $1,000 |
| Monthly Payment | $5,930 | $10,846 |
The lower monthly payment scenario involves a larger down payment and a home with cheaper insurance and property tax rates. You can buy a million-dollar home with a lower salary if you come prepared with more money up front. Other factors that can reduce what you need to earn include lower escrow costs, such as property taxes, homeowners insurance and homeowners association fees. Your property location can really influence homeownership charges and how much you qualify to borrow.
In the higher monthly payment scenario, you’d need to earn more to afford the mortgage on a million-dollar home for two reasons: a lower down payment and higher homeownership costs. You can put down a lot less than 20% if you buy in a high-cost area with a conforming loan. For this hypothetical, let’s say your property taxes are higher and you have to pay private mortgage insurance and HOA fees (which can run in the thousands for a luxury community).
Of course, all these numbers are adjustable, and there’s plenty of room in between both scenarios. If you’re able to make a 50% down payment, then you could end up with a mortgage payment closer to $4,000 per month and wouldn’t need as high of a salary. Or if you opt for a shorter loan term, like a 15-year mortgage, you’d have higher monthly payments and would need that higher salary.
Calculate: Use Our Free Mortgage Calculator to Estimate Your Monthly Payments.
Formulas to Determine How Much House You Can Afford
When it comes to estimating housing affordability, there are two (very different) rules of thumb: You should spend 28% or less of your monthly income on housing, and you can afford a house that’s 2.5 times your annual salary at most.
Per the 28/36 rule, you should spend no more than 28% of your gross monthly income on housing and 36% on your total debt, including mortgage, auto loan and credit card payments. That 28% part includes not just your mortgage principal and interest payments, but your home insurance, property taxes and homeowners association fees as well. Understand that mortgage lenders can and do approve home loans with higher ratios. However, this rule tells you what most people can comfortably afford.
Here’s the combined household income you need to afford a million-dollar home using the examples above and the 28/36 rule:
- For the low-end mortgage payment of $5,930, your gross monthly income would need to be at least $21,179. That’s an annual salary of $254,148 before taxes and deductions. Additionally, your other monthly debt payments should not exceed $1,694 to keep your total debts limited to 36% of your income.
- On the high end, you’d need to bring in $38,736 or more monthly to afford a $10,846 mortgage payment, which translates to a $464,832 salary. Your other monthly debt obligations should not exceed $3,099.
The simpler school of thought is that you can afford a house that’s 2.5 times your salary. In this case, to buy a $1 million home, you’d need to make $400,000 annually.
The 2.5 times your income rule doesn’t consider mortgage rates, down payment amount or many of the other factors that go into housing costs, however, and it’s a pretty conservative estimate. For example, someone bringing in $100,000 per year would theoretically be able to afford a home worth $250,000 – and most buyers would be hard-pressed to find a starter home in that price range.
