Written by Isabelle Termath, Staff Writer
Billie Eilish calls out billionaires in a recent speech.
Recently, on October 29, popular singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish received the Music
Innovator Award, for which her acceptance speech has garnered much attention from the media
and the public. In a room full of billionaires and powerful people, Eilish addressed not only
wealth inequality, the uncertainty of our present times, but also the billionaires themselves. She
implored them by saying “give your money away,” and asking “why are you a billionaire?”
Award
Eilish’s speech calls attention to certain issues in our time that seem to run rampant. The
wealth inequality gap is increasing steadily, and a handful of billionaires alone hold more money
than most of the population does combined. In a world where some families struggle to make
ends meet, one can not help but wonder, why don’t the world’s billionaires come together to help
the common good?
One billionaire in particular who has been dragged into this conversation is Mark
Zuckerberg, who is known for his tremendous wealth. He was in the room when Eilish delivered
her speech, and the public has been honing in on his reaction. He did not clap when Eilish said
billionaires should donate their money, and his reaction to her comments has mostly been viewed
as negative and awkward, even indignant.
Awards
It is important to note in this conversation that Eilish has recently donated $11.5 million
dollars to charity. This money came from her recent “Hit Me Hard And Soft” Tour for an album
of the same name. The proceeds went to charities and programs dedicated to helping and
targeting climate change, carbon emissions, and food equity. Her address to billionaires to give
away money is not coming from a place of hypocrisy. She is practicing what she preaches, and
simply is drawing attention to those much wealthier than her that do not do the same.
Billionaires have an extraordinary amount of privilege. The concept of “one billion” is
hard to wrap our heads around, especially when we compare a million to a billion. The difference
is not that one has an “m” and the other a “b.” The difference between them is that a billion is
one thousand times bigger than a million. A mere ten percent of a billion is one hundred million,
and when we consider Zuckerberg, who has hundreds of billions (209.2 billion to be exact), it
puts into perspective how easy it is to donate money for good causes, and makes us ask why
those with such wealth have not already done so.
No one asked Billie Eilish to donate 22 percent of her net worth, but she did. The world is
begging billionaires to donate a fraction of their wealth, and they refuse. In a time when suffering
and inequality is so apparent, the most powerful people should be working together to alleviate
some of that pain. In short, billionaires should listen when they are told, “Give your money away,
shorties.”