(Los Angeles, 23 years old) has almost 94 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone, which positions her as the eighth most listened to artist in the world—behind Bruno Mars, and Lady Gaga. A success that is not only reflected in the numbers of the platforms of streaming, also in . Last Wednesday, October 29, the artist received the Innovation award from the magazine Wall Street Journal at an event held at the MoMA in New York. The reason? Its influence in the industry and its commitment to social and environmental causes. And it is this second leg that he wanted to highlight in his gratitude speech.
At this event, a stop he made before returning to his tour Hit Me Hard and Soft on November 7 in New Orleans — which will conclude on November 23 after 100 concerts — Billie Eilish wanted this recognition for her musical project as well. During her speech, the singer launched a strong message about economic inequality and urged billionaires to share their wealth with those who need it most. “We are living in a very difficult and dark time, and people need help more than ever. If you have money, I recommend that you use it for a good cause, perhaps to help those who need it,” he launched before an audience that included characters with large bank accounts, such as , , George Lucas and .
Thus, the artist wanted to address and point directly to those present: “I love you all, but there are some here who have much more money than me. If they are multimillionaires, why are they? No offense, but yes, give away your money.” A speech that provoked a mix of laughter and discreet applause among those in attendance. According to there was one of those present who refrained from applauding: Mark Zuckerberg. The founder of Facebook is the third richest person in the world, with a net worth of around $257 billion. Although his presence at the event was due to his wife, Priscilla Chan, who was recognized as an Innovator in Scientific Philanthropy of 2025 for her work through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which seeks to develop tools to diagnose and treat all types of diseases.
Before giving the speech, the presenter in charge of introducing the singer of Birds of a Feathershared another piece of news that confirmed Eilish’s commitment to those most in need. The artist will donate 11.5 million dollars (almost 10 million euros, at the current exchange rate) raised during her tour Hit Me Hard and Soft to support initiatives focused on food equity, climate justice, and carbon pollution reduction. “It’s wonderful! Billie, on behalf of all humanity, thank you,” Colbert commented. This donation adds to the multiple causes that he has promoted since he became a public figure: he has participated in sustainability campaigns in fashion and his collaboration with non-profit entities focused on plastic waste.
Additionally, the singer has strived to make her tour as sustainable as possible, implementing practices such as biodegradable confetti and . “You can do practically the same thing with sustainable materials, but people don’t do it. The main thing I’ve learned working with so many companies and creating my own merchandise and perfume is that anyone can do it. Most people simply don’t do it.” In the conversation with the American media, he also explained how “wasteful” many fashion brands are.
His interest in environmental causes has taken him to places where music stars don’t usually appear. For example, Billie Eilish attended the inaugural gala for NAT, a nonprofit organization founded by activist Gail Gallie to raise funds for reforestation, climate education, and other initiatives. The artist knows about the loudspeaker she has to denounce and support social causes and uses it whenever she can.
