At just 23, Billie Eilish is already used to the spotlight — but at this year’s Wall Street Journal Innovator Awards, she turned it directly onto the ultra-wealthy sitting in the room with her. What was meant to be a celebration of creativity became, in Billie fashion, a sharp reminder of the state of the world and the responsibility that comes with having more money than most people will ever see in a lifetime.
Billie Eilish Uses Her Acceptance Speech to Call Out Extreme Wealth
Each year, the WSJ Innovator Awards highlights figures reshaping their industries. At the 2025 ceremony, Billie Eilish received the Music Innovator Award — and she didn’t waste her moment on stage.
Speaking to a room filled with CEOs and industry power brokers (including Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg), she delivered a candid message about the current state of the world:
“We’re living in a time when the world is really, really bad and really dark, and people need empathy and help more than ever, especially in this country.”
Then came the part that made the room shift in their seats.
“I’d say that if you have money, it would be great to use it well — maybe by giving it to people who need it.”
The comment landed with a mix of awkward laughs and murmured approval. But Billie was just getting started.
She Donates $11.5 Million — and Challenges Billionaires to Give More
Stephen Colbert, who introduced her, revealed that Billie plans to donate the revenue from her entire Hit Me Hard and Soft tour — a total of $11.5 million — to organizations supporting food justice, climate initiatives, carbon reduction efforts, and environmental advocacy.
Colbert praised the gesture:
“Billie, on behalf of all human beings, thank you.”
Yet on stage, Billie made it clear she wasn’t satisfied with being the only one giving:
“I love you all, but there are some people here who have way more money than me. If you’re billionaires — why? No hate, but yes, give your money away, babies.”
According to People, Zuckerberg did not applaud.
Mark Zuckerberg Was in the Room — and Didn’t Clap
Zuckerberg, who attended the ceremony with his wife Priscilla Chan, is currently listed by Forbes as the third-richest person in the world, with an estimated fortune of $257 billion.
Ironically, Chan was also honored that night for philanthropic innovation due to the work of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which focuses on developing biomedical tools to fight disease. The couple has pledged to donate 99% of the profits from their Meta shares over their lifetime.
Still, Billie’s remark highlighting the contradiction between extreme wealth and global suffering was hard to ignore — and even harder to dismiss.
A Moment That Resonated Far Beyond the Room
Billie’s speech captured something many people feel but rarely get to say to the ultra-wealthy directly: that hoarded wealth in the face of global crises is morally indefensible. And coming from an artist known not only for her music but also for her activism, the message landed with a clarity that made headlines.
