Billie Eilish Tells Billionaires, With Mark Zuckerberg Present, “Give Your Money Away, Shorties”

Billie Eilish used her acceptance speech at WSJ Magazine’s 2025 Innovator Awards to both spotlight urgent causes and call on the ultra-wealthy to do more. The ceremony at MoMA on October 29, 2025, saw the singer honored for her influence in music and activism.

Introduced by Stephen Colbert, Eilish was recognized with the publication’s music innovator award. Colbert also revealed that Eilish has helped raise approximately $11.5 million for organizations tackling food insecurity and climate change through her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour.

Taking the stage, Eilish addressed the assembled business and media leaders — among them Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is listed among the world’s wealthiest individuals. She appealed to those with means to redirect their resources to urgent social needs.

“People need empathy and help in our country,” Eilish said, adding a pointed challenge: “If you are a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?”

She followed with a candid, casual plea for generosity: “No hate, but give your money away, shorties.” Billboard has contacted Meta for comment.

The awards coincided with the publication of Eilish’s interview in WSJ Magazine, in which she reflected on life on tour and her work on the album Hit Me Hard and Soft. In that conversation she emphasized her commitment to environmental responsibility, especially in fashion and merchandising.

“You can literally make all the same s—t with sustainable materials, and people just aren’t doing it,” she told the magazine, stressing that many companies could adopt greener practices if they prioritized them.

Eilish’s $11.5 million will be distributed through her Changemaker Program to groups addressing hunger and environmental challenges. Her tour practices reflect those priorities: plant-based food options at shows, biodegradable confetti, merchandise made from recycled cotton, and efforts to encourage fans to use public transit and reusable water bottles.

She has also criticized wasteful trends within the music industry, noting the proliferation of multiple vinyl variants and other tactics that encourage repeat purchases rather than sustainable consumption.