Billie Eilish took the stage at the Wall Street Journal Magazine Innovator Awards and delivered a message that no one in the audience was expecting. In a room filled with billionaires, industry moguls and celebrities, the 22-year-old artist used her acceptance speech to confront the issue of extreme wealth head-on. Her remarks were bold, unscripted, and unapologetically direct. She set the tone for one of the most talked-about moments of the night.
Eilish, who was being honored for her contributions to music and culture, told the wealthy attendees, “We’re in 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 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. Love you guys. Thank you so much.” According to Stereogum, the audience’s reaction was mixed with laughter and applause from most, but notably, Mark Zuckerberg remained silent. Her comments quickly gained traction online, with many praising her for using the platform to call out the hoarding of wealth amid growing global inequality.
Eilish went on to highlight her own commitment to giving back, revealing that she’s donating $11.5 million from her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” world tour to organizations focused on climate action and food justice. Her remarks transformed what’s typically a glamorous industry event into a moment of reflection about wealth, power and responsibility while delivering the message with her signature humor and authenticity.
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