Musician and singer Billie Eilish won the Music Innovator Award at the WSJ Magazine’s Innovator Awards. Attended by several big names in the industry, notable billionaires like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg were also present in the august gathering. The 23-year-old Grammy winner, though, stirred the audience with her acceptance speech, as the netizens lauded her stand.
In her speech, Eilish 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.” She told the star-studded audience, “I’d say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things, maybe give it to some people that need it.”
Eilish’s further comment, however, did not leave Zuckerberg applauding. She said, “Love you all, but there are 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.”
This came just after it was revealed that she had made a generous donation towards food equity, climate justice, reducing carbon pollution and combating the climate crisis. The ‘Birds of a Feather’ artist donated $11.5 million from her collection from her recent music tours.
Did the Zuckerbergs react?
As per several reports, there were several guests, including the likes of Hailey Bieber, Spike Lee, George Lucas, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Tory Burch, Questlove, and Karlie Kloss. While they applauded and supported her demands, Eilish’s speech was not met well with Zuckerberg. According to an eyewitness, mentioned in a People report, the Facebook found did not clap along.
Philanthropist and paediatrician, Priscilla Chan, was also recognised by the WSJ Magazine as the 2025 Philanthropy in Science Innovator. Her work for the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative was honoured for its contribution to creating new tools to treat and target diseases. The billionaire couple also pledged to donate 99% of their shares in Meta to their cause during their lifetime.
However, some Internet sleuths were not impressed by this comment from Eilish. They opined that it lacked substance, since she compared herself to billionaires, both an unachievable number for many individuals. They called out the ‘charity’ events like the Met Gala and other fundraisers, where the entire focus goes to posing on the red carpet. In fact, some pop music fans turned it around into a rumoured shade on billionaire Taylor Swift. Threatened by her monetary status, Eilish’s speech was speculated as a pop-star rivalry. “If these people wanted to/cared, they could end homelessness and world hunger,” wrote a user on social media.