Billie Eilish Challenges Billionaires to Step Up While Donating $11.5M of Her Own Tour Money [Video]

Billie Eilish made her voice heard at the 2025 WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards. While accepting the Music Innovator honor, the 23-year-old took the stage and turned her moment into a powerful statement about wealth and responsibility.

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“We’re in a time right now where the world is really, really bad and really dark,” Eilish said to the audience at the Museum of Modern Art. “If you have money, it would be great to use it for good things.”

The singer continued, adding, “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.”

The star-studded crowd included Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan. While most applauded, an eyewitness noted Zuckerberg didn’t join in. Forbes currently ranks him as the third-richest person in the world, worth an estimated $257 billion.

Chan was also honored for her philanthropy in science, with the couple pledging 99% of their Meta shares to charity. Still, Eilish’s words hit differently when moments later, Stephen Colbert announced she donated $11.5 million from her recent tour to causes like climate justice and food equity.

Zuckerberg has not commented publicly on her speech.