Billie Eilish Confronts Billionaires at WSJ Awards: “Why Are You a Billionaire?”

By Zoe Papadakis | Thursday, 30 October 2025 12:54 PM EDT
Billie Eilish directed sharp criticism toward the wealthy during her acceptance speech at The Wall Street Journal Magazine’s Innovator Awards, questioning billionaires about their wealth and urging them to support those in need. The nine-time Grammy winner received the outlet’s Music Innovator Award at Wednesday night’s ceremony, where “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert presented her with the prize.

Colbert highlighted that Eilish had raised $11.5 million through her “Hit Me Hard and Soft” tour to fund initiatives addressing food insecurity and climate change. During her speech, Eilish addressed an audience that included Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, one of the world’s wealthiest individuals.

“People need empathy and help in our country,” she said before turning her focus to the ultra-wealthy. “If you have money, it would be great to use it for good things and 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 are a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?”

Eilish closed her remarks with the line, “No hate, but give your money away, shorties.” Her speech coincided with the publication of a WSJ Magazine profile detailing her efforts to promote sustainability in music and fashion. “You can literally make all the same st with sustainable materials, and people just aren’t doing it,” she said. “The main thing I’ve learned is that everyone can actually do it. It’s just that mostly they don’t.”

The $11.5 million raised through her tour will fund Eilish’s Changemaker Program, which supports organizations tackling hunger and environmental issues. Her tour also emphasizes sustainability, offering plant-based food options, selling merchandise made from recycled materials, using biodegradable confetti, and encouraging fans to bring reusable bottles and use public transit.

Eilish has previously criticized excess and waste in the music industry, noting frustration with artists creating unnecessary products like multiple vinyl packages to drive sales. “It’s some of the biggest artists in the world making fing 40 different vinyl packages just to get you to keep buying more,” she said in a 2024 interview.

Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has worked as a reporter, writer, and editor for newspapers, magazines, and websites.