Then came the line that had the room shifting in their seats: “Love you all, but there are a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties.”
Billie Eilish delivers her fiery speech at the WSJ Innovator Awards in New York Getty Images
Why Billie Eilish’s billionaire comment hit hard
Eilish’s ‘give your money away’ comment wasn’t just talk. Earlier that night, host Stephen Colbert announced that she had raised and donated £9.4 million (₹99 crore) through her Hit Me Hard and Soft world tour. The funds will support climate action and food equity projects through her Changemaker programme.
In the audience were Zuckerberg, filmmaker George Lucas, Hailey Bieber, and Spike Lee. Eyewitnesses told People magazine that Zuckerberg “wasn’t clapping” after Eilish’s jab.
Fans start searching ‘Billie Eilish net worth’
After the clip of her speech spread online, Google searches for “Billie Eilish net worth” spiked overnight. Fans were curious: how rich is someone telling billionaires to give it away?
According to Forbes, the Grammy and Oscar winner is worth around £44 million (₹465 crore). Most of it comes from music and tours, though she also runs a vegan perfume line. Even so, Eilish’s choice to funnel a chunk of her tour profits back into charity shows that she is living the message she preaches.
Billie Eilish urged billionaires in the room, including Mark Zuckerberg, to share their wealthGetty Images
Billie Eilish’s next chapter
“You can make all the same stuff sustainably,” she has said before, calling out waste in the fashion and music industries. Her shows serve plant-based food, the merch is made from recycled fabric, and plastic bottles are out. It’s become a normal part of how she tours.
She’s also spoken about big artists selling dozens of vinyl versions just to make more money. “It’s some of the biggest artists in the world making f***ing 40 different vinyl packages just to get you to keep buying more,” she told Billboard last year.
Eilish has made it clear she’s not slowing down. She’ll keep doing what she loves while standing by what matters to her.
