Billie Eilish Calls Out Billionaires and Donates $11.5 Million

Courtesy: Harper’s BAZAAR

By: Olivia Armstead

Billie Eilish doesn’t shy away from speaking her mind.

As the singer accepted the Music Innovator Award at the Magazine Innovator Awards hosted by the Wall Street Journal, she directly addressed billionaires and advised them to donate their money to those in need. 

Per AP News, Eilish stated, “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. 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.”

“Love you all, but there’s a few people in here who have a lot more money than me. And if you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? And no hate, but give your money away, shorties,” Eilish continued. 

Several billionaires were in attendance and in the room while Eilish called them out, including the CEO of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, along with his wife, Priscilla Chan as well as Star Wars creator George Lucas, said AP News

According to CBS News, before Eilish made her courageous statement, late-night host Stephen Colbert announced that Eilish would be donating $11.5 million of the proceeds earned from her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour to efforts dedicated to food equity, climate justice, and the reduction of carbon pollution. 

This most recent display of celebrity activism has young adults questioning the impact/effect it can have on changes made in society. 

“I feel that statements from people who have a widespread audience, like Billie Eilish, are helpful in getting a conversation started, but I don’t think those actions have a true impact on public policy,” said Anai McKinney, a political science major attending Hampton University. 

She continued, “While I don’t think their actions should be stopped, hearing about issues of poverty and food insecurity from a person who is making millions of dollars doesn’t feel as important or urgent as if it came from someone actually dealing with those issues.”

McKenzie Fitzgerald, a sociology major attending Hampton University, felt similarly. “While I don’t think Billie Eilish as an individual can directly influence the officials currently shaping policies,” she said,  “I do believe she can empower her fan base to vote for leaders who can. Overall, though, it’s ultimately up to the people to create change. I also think celebrity activism can sometimes overshadow the voices of those directly affected by the issues [...] if you aren’t actively contributing to a solution, it disregards the lived experiences of those suffering from it.”