Billie Eilish Donates $11.5 Million to Charities: Urges Billionaires to Help Those in Needv
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Billie Eilish has donated $11.5 million to charitable organizations and called on the world’s billionaires to stop hoarding wealth. The 23-year-old singer is currently wrapping up the final weeks of her concert tour, while her third album, Hit Me Hard and Soft, has sold over two million copies.
On Wednesday, Stephen Colbert revealed before presenting her with The Wall Street Journal’s Music Innovator of the Year award that Eilish had contributed $11.5 million to charities focused on food relief, reducing carbon emissions, and combating the climate crisis.
In front of figures such as Mark Zuckerberg (with a net worth of $225 billion), Spike Lee, and Questlove, Eilish posed a question to the wealthy: why can’t they help those in need?
“We’re living in a time when the world is very, very ugly and very dark. People, in many ways, need compassion and help more than ever—especially in our own country. I just want to say, if you’re rich, maybe use that wealth for good and perhaps give it to those who need it.”
After receiving only mild applause from the audience, Eilish continued:
“I love you all, but there are a few people here who have way more money than I do. If you’re a billionaire, I have to ask—why are you a billionaire? I’m not trying to spread hate, but yes, give your wealth away.”
Last year, Eilish told Rolling Stone:
“I’ve never wanted to be a role model—never. But if you think I am one, then let me be a role model for protecting the environment, for being more aware of how we live and the carbon footprint we leave, and for supporting sustainable farming.”
Over the past two years, Eilish has been among several celebrities who have condemned Israel’s attacks on Palestine.
