Billie Eilish shocks WSJ awards by telling billionaires to ‘give your money away’ with Mark Zuckerberg in the room

Highlights:

• The singer made a fiery speech while accepting the Music Innovator Award in New York
  
• Mark Zuckerberg was in the room when she asked, “If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?”
• Eilish announced a £9.4 million (₹99 crore) donation from her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour
  
• Stephen Colbert presented the award and revealed her climate and hunger relief efforts
• The moment went viral, with fans googling “Billie Eilish net worth” after the speech

Billie Eilish didn’t hold back at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards. Standing before a room packed with billionaires, including Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the 23-year-old singer used her Music Innovator acceptance speech to call for empathy, action, and the redistribution of wealth.

“We’re in a time right now where the world is really bad and dark,” she said, looking out at the crowd. “If you have money, it would be great to use it for good things, maybe give it to some people that need it.”

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.