Singer Billie Eilish called on billionaires to “give your money away” at the WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards on Wednesday.
“I’d say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things and maybe give it to some people that need it,” Eilish said. “Love you all, but there’s a few people in here who have a lot more money than me. And if you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties.”
Eilish has an estimated net worth of $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Why It Matters
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, attended the awards, Forbes reported. Zuckerberg is the fifth-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $226 billion, according to the outlet.
Zuckerberg and Chan have given more than $7 billion, according to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative website. The two previously announced they would give 99 percent of their Meta (then Facebook) shares over their lifetimes.
Eilish’s criticism of billionaires comes amid a growing wealth gap in the U.S.
Children’s entertainer Rachel Griffin Accurso, known as Ms. Rachel, also recently criticized billionaires, posting on Instagram last week, “No one needs a billion dollars. People need food. The end.”
What To Know
Eilish received the Music Innovator Award. The 23-year-old singer has won nine Grammys, two Oscars and two Golden Globes.
The WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards “recognize groundbreaking talents from a range of disciplines,” according to the event’s website. The program was launched in 2011.
How Much Money Has Billie Eilish Donated? What to Know
It was also revealed at the event that Eilish will be donating $11.5 million from her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour to The Changemaker Program, which addresses climate change and food insecurity, Forbes reported.
Eilish previously raised over $1 million for nonprofits, environmental justice and climate projects during her 2022 tour, according to her website.
What People Are Saying
Billie Eilish, at the WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards on Wednesday: “We’re in a time right now where the world is really, really bad and really dark and people need empathy and help more than kind of ever, especially in our country.”
Stephen Colbert, introducing Eilish at the event, according to People: “Billie Eilish will be donating proceeds from her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour to support organizations, projects and voices dedicated to food equity, climate justice, reducing carbon pollution and combating the climate crisis. That donation, ladies and gentlemen, will be $11.5 million. That’s wonderful. Billie, on behalf of humans everywhere, thank you.”
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