Billie Eilish Calls Out Billionaires, Including Mark Zuckerberg, Makes $11.5 Million Charitable Donation
"There’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me," Eilish remarked. "If you are a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?"
Billie Eilish live in Brisbane (Credit: Henry Hwu)
Billie Eilish has made waves after calling out billionaires while putting her money where her mouth is at the annual Wall Street Journal Magazine’s Innovator Awards.
The bad guy hitmaker was presented with the Music Innovator Award on Wednesday (29 October), with host Stephen Colbert revealing that Eilish would be using her fame for good, giving back with a $11.5 million charitable donation to support food inequality and the climate crisis.
Consequence of Sound notes that Eilish raised $11.5 million through her Hit Me Hard And Soft World Tour, which visited Australia earlier this year. The proceeds will go to The Changemaker Program, an initiative that supports global organisations addressing hunger and the impact of climate change.
Eilish used her acceptance speech to call on billionaires in the room, including Mark Zuckerberg, to take similar action. His wife, Priscilla Chan, was honoured by the Wall Street Journal for her work in science philanthropy.
“We’re in a time right now where the world is really, really bad and really dark, and people need empathy and help in our country,” Eilish said. “I’d say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things and give it to some people that need it.”
She continued, “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.”
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People reports that Mark Zuckerberg didn’t clap along with the rest of the audience following Eilish’s comments. You can watch footage of the moment below.
Reviewing Eilish’s February show at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, The Music’s Emma Newbury remarked, “Whether it was her playful interactions with the crowd, her steadfast political and environmental values, or her effortless ability to command a stage and balance singing with action, Eilish reinforced why she remains one of the largest artists of her generation. Eilish was made for a long career in music.”
During her Australian tour, Eilish broke the long-standing single event attendance record at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
Eilish’s show on 28 February at Qudos Bank Arena saw 21,001 attendees, one more than the arena’s capacity of 21,000. The record surpassed Justin Timberlake’s FutureSex/LoveSounds show, which took place 18 years prior, on 13 November 2007, when 20,839 patrons attended the concert.
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