“Give your money away, shorties”
Billie Eilish didn’t hold back at the Wall Street Journal’s 2025 Innovator Awards – calling out billionaires directly before announcing she’s donating $11.5million (£8.7million) from her tour to charity.
The event, held at New York’s Museum of Modern Art on Wednesday night (October 29), honoured “game-changers” across industries, with Eilish taking home the Music Innovator Award. Others recognised included Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Hailey Bieber, Priscilla Chan, and George Lucas with Mellody Hobson.
On stage, Eilish turned her acceptance speech into a reality check for the ultra-rich. “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 ever,” she said. “If you have money it would be great to use it for good things and maybe give it to some people that need it.”
Eilish – a long-time advocate for climate justice and animal rights – didn’t just talk the talk. She confirmed she’s donating $11.5million from her Hit Me Hard and Soft world tour proceeds to charities tackling environmental and humanitarian issues.
“if you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?” -Billie at the @WSJ Innovator awards tonight in New York! pic.twitter.com/YjSoi4Ei0R
— Billie Eilish Society (@BillieSociety) October 30, 2025
Closing out her speech, she fired one last playful jab at the room full of power players: “Give your money away, shorties.”
It’s not the first time Eilish has used her platform to call for accountability among the ultra-wealthy, but this one might’ve hit closest to home – literally in their faces.
