At the WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards on Wednesday evening, Grammy-winning artist Billie Eilish delivered a pointed message to the ultra-wealthy gathered at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. “If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but, yeah, give your money away, shorties,” the 23-year-old singer declared while accepting the music innovator award.
Her comments came moments after comedian Stephen Colbert announced that Eilish would be donating $11.5 million of proceeds from her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to programs supporting food equity, climate justice, reducing carbon pollution, and combating the climate crisis. Taking the stage, Eilish seized the moment to challenge those in the audience to follow suit.
“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,” Eilish said. “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. Love you all, but there’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me.”
The timing and venue of her remarks made them particularly striking. Among those seated in the audience was Mark Zuckerberg, the Meta CEO whose net worth sits in the hundreds of billions, making him one of the world’s wealthiest individuals. According to People magazine, Zuckerberg notably did not applaud in response to Eilish’s comments. His wife, Priscilla Chan, who also received an award that evening, was present along with other high-profile attendees including Spike Lee, Hailey Bieber, Questlove, Adam Scott, and Brittany Snow.
Eilish’s call to action resonates against a backdrop of staggering wealth inequality. A 2023 Oxfam report revealed that the world’s richest one percent control 45.6 percent of global wealth. The report also found that 81 billionaires possessed more wealth than the poorest 50 percent of the world’s population combined. As these disparities continue to widen, Eilish positioned herself among a growing chorus of voices demanding the wealthy use their resources for societal good.
This isn’t the first time Eilish has taken a public political stance. The young artist has consistently used her platform to advocate for causes including support for Gaza, Black Lives Matter, veganism, and climate action. Her willingness to speak out places her among several Gen Z artists who have recently leveraged their influence to challenge powerful institutions and individuals. Earlier this year, musician Chappell Roan used her Grammy-winning speech to criticize record labels for failing to compensate musicians fairly while profiting from their work.
Eilish’s direct appeal at the Innovator Awards represents more than just celebrity activism. By putting her own substantial donation on the table first and then openly challenging those with far greater resources, she’s modeling a form of advocacy that goes beyond words. In a room filled with some of the world’s most powerful people, she made it clear that influence and wealth come with responsibilities, especially in times of crisis and need.
The moment also highlights a generational shift in how young celebrities approach their public roles. Rather than maintaining the traditional distance between entertainment and politics, artists like Eilish are increasingly willing to make their audiences, and the powerful people within them, uncomfortable. Whether her words will inspire action from the billionaires in attendance remains to be seen, but her message was unmistakable: having money isn’t just about what you can buy, it’s about what good you can do.
