Singer Billie Eilish used her highlight at WSJ Journal’s Innovator Awards Wednesday evening to show the warmth on billionaires.
“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, kind of, ever, especially in our country,” the 23-year-old mentioned whereas accepting the Music Innovator Award. “I’d say if you have money, it would be great to use it for good things, maybe give it to some people that need it.”
She then added, “Love you all, but there’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but yeah, give your money away, shorties.”
By a number of folks, she was doubtless referring to Mark Zuckerberg, who was sitting within the crowd together with his spouse, Priscilla Chan. Zuckerberg reportedly didn’t clap together with the gang when she made that assertion.
The Meta CEO is price a whopping $228 billion, making him the second-richest individual on the earth as of publication.
Whereas Eilish—a millionaire herself—gave $11.5 million of the earnings from her current tour to varied organizations supporting meals fairness and local weather justice, Zuckerberg and Chan appear to be maintaining issues near his chest, at the very least for now.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg sits beside President Donald Trump throughout a dinner on the White Home on Sept. 4.
The 2 have reportedly pledged 99% of their Meta shares to the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, a for-profit firm working to remedy, forestall, and handle all illnesses by 2100.
But when CZI sounds acquainted for causes aside from a imprecise mountainous purpose, it is perhaps as a result of it made headlines in Could for chopping a part of its grant program that was serving to to construct reasonably priced housing. And two months earlier than that, it reduce grants for racial fairness and immigration reform. Based on Chan, these cuts have been made to give attention to the scientific arm, the place the assets have been paying off essentially the most.
However the modifications got here at a suspicious time, as Zuckerberg has been capitulating to President Donald Trump and his warfare on variety, fairness, and inclusion efforts.
Zuckerberg’s descent into conservatism turned abundantly clear when he donated $1 million to Trump’s inauguration committee. He additionally up to date Meta’s “hateful conduct” coverage, which appeared to offer folks free reign to harass LGBTQ+ folks.
He has even cooperated with the Division of Homeland Safety in eradicating Fb teams that helped to determine and warn folks of Immigration and Customs Enforcement brokers’ presence.
Zuckerberg would possibly declare that he’s making strides for the larger good with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, however his actions constantly show in any other case.
And one factor may be very clear: Even millionaires like Eilish perceive that billionaires merely should not exist.
