Who is Rogelio Nores, friend of the late Liam Payne from One Direction? The energy tycoon was one of the last people to see the singer – but girlfriend Kate Cassidy was reportedly not a fan of their bond

On November 8, 2024By Littum

The world is still winding down The tragic loss of One Direction star Liam Payneand new details have emerged about the day of his passing and his friendships. An exclusive report from Page Six delves into the musician’s close relationship with his friend, Rogelio “Roger” Nores, revealing that the energy mogul was focused on supporting Payne’s sobriety.

Nores was “really concerned for his well-being” when Payne went to the UK to film Netflix Building the band earlier this year with Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland, according to the report. Payne was getting clean from drugs just before the shooting, according to his friend.

Tribute to the late Liam Payne from One Direction, around the Peter Pan statue in Hyde Park in London. Photo: DPA

So was Nores with the singer in Argentina, just hours before his untimely death. According to the Daily Mail, the 31-year-old was on a “bender” at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel, whose staff called emergency services to report a guest “overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol”. Nores was reportedly seen apologizing to guests for his friend’s behavior and telling the hotel manager about staff selling drugs to Payne.

He is a businessman

Roger Nores: Being part of something big drives me | Forbes

Rogelio Nores is an Argentine multi-millionaire who made his fortune in the energy industry. According to Forbes, Nores founded his own investment company at the age of just 23. In 2018, Nores, as CEO of StoneWay Capital, entered Forbes’ 30 Under 30 – Energy list. In 2022, his company was later acquired by SCC Power.

How did he become friends with Liam Payne?

Liam Payne on the red carpet at the 2019 Brit Awards. Photo: Getty Images

Nores and Payne first met in 2020 at a house party in London hosted by Edward Enninful, former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, Page Six reported. The duo quickly became close — so much so that earlier this year the singer moved into a Palm Beach, Florida, mansion belonging to one of Nores’ friends, reportedly to be closer to Nores, who owned a condo in Miami Beach. Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy wasn’t a fan of his and Nores’ unusually close bond, according to the source.

Rogelio Nores was rumored to be dating Liam Payne

Liam Payne and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in March 2023 in London. Photo: Getty Images

Payne and Nores were pictured holding hands over the summer, and Nores would often join the singer in the recording studio, per Page Six. With fan speculation about a possible romance between the two coming forward, Payne addressed the rumors head-on, saying: “There were a lot of things in magazines saying that me and Roger are gay together – not true, unfortunately.”

Nores appears to have a boyfriend, and the pair joined Payne and Cassidy at a Niall Horan concert in Buenos Aires in October.