Social Media Reacts To Her Thoughts On Billionaires

Billie Eilish desires billionaires to open their wallets for these in want! The Grammy and Oscar winner didn’t mince phrases whereas calling out the rich in a now-viral speech. She popped off on Wednesday night time (October 29), leaving an impression on followers on-line and sparking media headlines.

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What Did Billie Eilish Say To Billionaires In Her Speech?

In response to the Related Press, Billie made her statements whereas accepting the music award at this 12 months’s WSJ Journal Innovator Awards. Whereas she spoke of her personal riches, she additionally challenged not solely the existence of billionaires however what they’re doing for these in want. Her viewers included loads of elite of us, from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his spouse Priscilla Chan to ‘Star Wars’ creator George Lucas.

“We’re in a time proper now the place the world is basically, actually dangerous and actually darkish and folks want empathy and assist greater than, form of, ever, particularly in our nation,” Eilish stated. She added, “I’d say you probably have cash, it will be nice to make use of it for good issues, possibly give it to some folks that want it.”

To recap the night, late night time host Stephen Colbert launched Billie Eilish on stage at New York’s Museum of Fashionable Artwork. In the course of the intro, he introduced that the singer plans to donate $11.5 million of the proceeds from her ‘Hit Me Arduous and Smooth’ tour to causes devoted to meals fairness, local weather justice and lowering carbon air pollution. After pledging her personal pockets, Billie turned to her friends, notably the extremely wealthy.

“Love you all, however there’s just a few individuals in right here who’ve much more cash than me,” the ‘Unhealthy Man’ singer stated. “And in case you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? And no hate, however give your cash away, shorties.”

“in case you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?” -Billie on the @WSJ Innovator awards tonight in New York! pic.twitter.com/YjSoi4Ei0R

— Billie Eilish Society (@BillieSociety) October 30, 2025

Is The Singer Following Her Personal Recommendation?

As defined, Billie Eilish is redirecting funds from her tour earnings to help a number of humanitarian causes. However the singer doesn’t seem like a one-and-done kind! By her Changemaker Program, Eilish has reportedly labored with the nonprofit Reverb for years on its Music Decarbonization Venture and its Music Local weather Revolution initiative. Different artists concerned vary from Lifeless & Firm to Harry Kinds.

Quantity Of Billionaires Grew In 2024

Eilish’s feedback come because the variety of billionaires worldwide continues to develop. For instance, 204 new individuals joined the billionaires’ listing in 2024, per to a January report from Oxfam Worldwide titled ‘Takers Not Makers.’ The report discovered that the billionaires grew wealthier 3 times quicker in 2024 than in 2023. That progress suggests an elevated focus of assets globally.

Additionally, Oxfam predicted at the very least 5 individuals will develop into trillionaires within the subsequent decade. That’s up from one individual the 12 months earlier than. The group referred to as for increased taxes on the wealthy and different measures to interrupt up monopolies, cap CEO pay and require firms to pay dwelling wages.

Some Billionaires Have Dedicated To Sharing Their Wealth, However Is It Working?

The wealthiest People have a protracted historical past of calling on one another to provide away extra of their cash. In 1889, Andrew Carnegie argued within the essay, ‘The Gospel of Wealth,’ that the richest ought to give away their fortunes inside their lifetimes. Quick-forward to 2010. That 12 months, Invoice Gates, Melinda French Gates and Warren Buffett created the Giving Pledge, a dedication for billionaires to provide away greater than half their wealth of their lifetimes or once they die.

Fifteen years later, some 256 billionaires have taken the pledge. 110 of them are from the U.S., in line with a latest report by the Charity Reform Initiative of the Institute for Coverage Research. These U.S. billionaires characterize 13% of the whole 876 billionaires within the U.S., per the report. Let THAT sink in.

Moreover, the report discovered that of the 22 billionaires who’ve died since taking the pledge, just one gave away his fortune earlier than he died. Solely eight of the 22 deceased pledgers fulfilled the dedication by making a gift of half or extra of their wealth at their loss of life. It’s price noting, although, that a few of their estates are nonetheless being resolved.

In the meantime, Chuck Collins, one of many authors of the report and an skilled on the Institute for Coverage Research, says the tax system is the actual beast. He thinks the Giving Pledge has created an expectation and competitors for the wealthiest to provide away their cash. Nevertheless, the fortunes of lots of the pledgers have elevated over time. So, in the event that they plan to satisfy their dedication, they might want to transfer much more aggressively with giving again.

“Ultimately, philanthropy is just not an alternative choice to a good and efficient tax system,” Collins stated. “The extent of utmost inequality would require some type of restoring progressivity to the tax system, a wealth tax in addition to progressive revenue tax.”