While accepting the Music Innovator Award at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards on October 29, Billie Eilish urged the billionaires in the room to consider their wealth. During her acceptance speech, she made it clear that those with excessive funds might want to think about doing something worthwhile with their money.
Still, she kept her tone light even while delivering the harsh reality. To a celebrity audience that included Mark Zuckerberg (currently the fifth-richest person in the world), Eilish urged “empathy” in a world that’s “really, really bad and really dark” at the moment.
“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,” she said. “I’d say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things, maybe give it to some people that need it.”
Billie Eilish Urged Other Celebrities To Do Something Good With Their Wealth
Continuing her speech, Billie Eilish didn’t pull any punches with her audience. The 23-year-old can usually be counted on to speak her mind about subjects she feels strongly about, not to mention her history of supporting charitable initiatives.
“Love you all, but there’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?” she asked, ending with a lighthearted, “No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties.”
The speech itself earned scattered applause and chuckles from the room. Other audience members included Hailey Bieber, Spike Lee, George Lucas, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Tory Burch, Questlove, Karlie Kloss, and more. Notably, Mark Zuckerberg did not clap following Eilish’s speech, as reported by People.
While introducing Billie Eilish to the stage, Stephen Colbert shared an important announcement that opened the floor for Eilish’s speech. At the conclusion of her Hit Me Hard And Soft Tour, which ends on November 23, she will be donating $11.5 million to several charitable organizations.
“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,” Colbert shared, before announcing the exact sum. “That’s wonderful. Billie, on behalf of humans everywhere, thank you,” he added.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards
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