Noam Galai/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards; Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards
Is Billie Eilish the “Bad Guy”? I don’t think so, honey!
Eilish attended the 2025 WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and was recognized for her contributions in music. During her acceptance speech, the 23-year-old pop star delivered a quite pointed speech calling out billionaires — and some of them were even present at the event.
Notably, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg attended the event, accompanying his wife, Dr. Priscilla Chan, who was an honoree just like Eilish. Zuckerberg is the fifth-richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of $228.3 billion, according to Forbes.
“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,” Eilish said in her speech. “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.”
The Oscar and Grammy winner added, “Love you all, but there’s 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.”
UPDATE: A spokesperson for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative contacted Out with the statement below.
“In response to your story regarding Billie Eilish’s plea for billionaires to give their money to good causes, I wanted to bring your attention to what Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan have been doing. As you know, they were attending last night’s WSJ Innovator event because Dr. Chan was being honored for her work in science philanthropy, for work she leads at Mark and Priscilla’s philanthropy, CZI.
In 2015, Zuckerberg and Chan pledged to give away 99 percent of their shares in Meta (Facebook at the time) to philanthropy over their lifetimes. To date, they’ve given away more than $7 billion.”
Did Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan react to Billie Eilish’s speech?
According to People, Zuckerberg did not clap after Eilish’s statement — at least according to an eyewitness who was present at the event and spoke with the publication.
Chan, who was also an honoree at the event for her contributions in philanthropy through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, also delivered a speech.
“I can’t believe they let science nerds like me into parties like this,” Chan said in her acceptance speech. “You have to believe that type of progress is possible.” In the speech, Chan also compared her work at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative with “treating a baby who was born with no immune system,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Who were the other honorees at the 2025 Innovators Award?
All honorees at the at the WSJ Magazine 2025 Innovator Awards. Billie Eilish at the center; Dr. Priscilla Chan at the end (L-R).Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for WSJ. Magazine Innovators Awards
Beyond Eilish (music) and Chan (philanthropy), honorees included Hermès’s Nadège Vanhée (fashion), Ben Stiller (entertainment), Spike Lee (film), Hailey Bieber (beauty), as well as George Lucas and Mellody Hobson (design).
