Phxt Billie Eilish Calls Out Billionaires at Glamorous NYC Gala: “Love You All, But Give Your Money Away, Shorties!”
Singer Billie Eilish has urged the ultra-wealthy to donate their money “to some people that need it” at the Wall Street Journal Innovator Awards in New York City.
Speaking to an audience that included Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, she said: “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.”
Late night host Stephen Colbert introduced Eilish on stage at the Museum of Modern Art by announcing that she would donate $11.5 million of the proceeds from her ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ tour to causes dedicated to food equity, climate justice and reducing carbon pollution.
In accepting the award, the “Bad Guy” singer added a polite but direct call to others in the room, saying: “Love you all, but there’s a few people in here who have a lot more money than me,” she said, to a smattering of applause. “And if you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? And no hate, but give your money away, shorties.”
Eilish’s comments come as the number of billionaires worldwide continues to grow, with 204 new billionaires added in 2024, according to a January report from Oxfam International entitled “Takers Not Makers.”
