“If You’re A Billionaire, Why Are You A Billionaire?”: Billie Eilish Just Called Out Billionaires To Their Faces, And People Are In Awe

“If You’re A Billionaire, Why Are You A Billionaire?”: Billie Eilish Just Called Out Billionaires To Their Faces, And People Are In Awe

Billie Eilish has won widespread praise after using her platform at Wednesday night’s WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards in New York City to call out billionaires directly to their faces.

The 23-year-old singer was at the ceremony to accept the Music Innovator Award, with a whole host of other rich and famous names in attendance — including Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, whose wife, Priscilla Chan, was also honored.

When Billie took to the stage to accept her award, 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.”

“And I’d say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things and maybe give it to some people that need it,” she told the crowd.
“Love you all, but there’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me.”

“And if you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?” Billie asked.
“No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties.”

In addition to her words, Billie — who has an estimated net worth of $50 million — put her money where her mouth is. It was announced later in the evening that she is donating a staggering $11.5 million of the proceeds from her *Hit Me Hard And Soft* tour to support organizations fighting for food equity, climate justice, reducing carbon pollution, and combating the climate crisis.

Needless to say, her bold message and generous donation left people seriously impressed. On Reddit, one commenter praised her speech, saying:
“Ballsy. Nice to see a celeb actually stick to their morals when in the room with powerful people.”

Others jumped on the opportunity to highlight the huge difference between millionaires and billionaires, with one writing:
“My fav way to put it in perspective: 1 million seconds = almost 12 days while 1 billion seconds is 31 years.”

Billie Eilish’s candid call-out and commitment to impactful philanthropy have resonated widely, reminding us all of the power and responsibility that come with wealth.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniesoteriou/billie-eilish-praised-calling-out-billionaires