Wealthy people should share their fortunes instead of hoarding them, Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Billie Eilish said. She made the remarks recently at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards, where she was honored for her contributions to music.
Big Gesture Big Audience
Before Eilish began her speech, late-night host Stephen Colbert introduced her onstage at New York's Museum of Modern Art and announced that she would donate $11.5 million of the proceeds from her "Hit Me Hard and Soft" tour to causes focused on food equity, climate justice, and reducing carbon pollution.
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"I love you all, but there are a few people here with a lot more money than me," she said. "If you're a billionaire — why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties."
Eilish went on to emphasize the need for compassion and responsibility in difficult times. "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 ever — especially in our country," she said.
Among those in attendance were Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, who received her award for philanthropic work. Also present were "Wicked" film co-stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, as well as actress Reese Witherspoon.
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The Call To Billionaires
Her direct message to the ultra-rich drew mixed reactions. According to People, an unidentified audience member said that Zuckerberg did not clap along with the rest of the crowd after Eilish's comment.
The moment underscored a wider debate about wealth inequality as hundreds of billionaires, including Zuckerberg, have signed the Giving Pledge — a commitment launched by Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) co-founder Bill Gates, philanthropist Melinda French Gates, and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK, BRK.B)) CEO Warren Buffett in 2010 to donate at least 50% of their wealth.
Zuckerberg and Chan pledged in 2015 to give away 99% of their Facebook shares, then worth about $45 billion, through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. The LLC structure drew scrutiny from philanthropy experts because it is not a tax-exempt foundation and can make private investments.
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Tour With Purpose
Funds from Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft" tour will support her Changemaker Program and Reverb, an environmental nonprofit that runs the Music Decarbonization Project to cut emissions from live music.
The initiative promotes sustainable touring and community food programs, continuing Eilish's long-standing partnership with her mother, Maggie Baird, founder of Support + Feed. "I have loved having Support and Feed out on tour. It really makes me feel there's a change in the air," Eilish told People.
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