At the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards on Wednesday, Billie Eilish used her acceptance speech to call out the ultra-wealthy—including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, who was in the audience—urging billionaires to share their fortunes at a time when “people need empathy and help in our country.”
Honored for her impact on the music industry, Eilish announced she would donate $11.5 million from her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to The Changemaker Program, which supports climate change and food insecurity initiatives. She encouraged those with means to “use it for good things and give it to people that need it,” adding directly to billionaires: “Love you all, but there’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you are a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but give your money away, shorties.”
According to People magazine, her comment drew laughter and applause—though Zuckerberg, worth $226 billion, reportedly didn’t join in. He attended to support his wife, Priscilla Chan, honored for her philanthropy. Together, they’ve donated over $5 billion, about 2% of their wealth, ranking among Forbes’ most generous philanthropists.
Fashion editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson praised Eilish afterward, posting: “I love Gen Z—they don’t give a f***. They will call Zuck an evil dork to his face, and thank god for that.”
Zuckerberg founded Facebook in 2004, took it public in 2012, and signed The Giving Pledge in 2010, promising to donate most of his fortune. In 2015, he and Chan pledged to give away 99% of their Facebook shares, then valued at $45 billion, through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Eilish’s speech joins a growing chorus criticizing billionaire wealth. Celebrities like Ms. Rachel, Rosie O’Donnell, and Daniel Craig have echoed similar views—arguing that no one needs a billion dollars while so many struggle to meet basic needs.
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