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Celebrity3 min(s) read
Just two weeks after using her WSJ Innovator Awards speech to challenge the ultra-wealthy, Billie Eilish has now taken her message straight to one of the world’s most polarizing billionaires: Elon Musk. The 23-year-old singer posted a series of Instagram Stories on Thursday, sharing pointed infographics and adding an unfiltered message of her own.
Her posts, which quickly drew widespread attention, marked the latest chapter in Eilish’s growing willingness to confront wealth inequality and call out figures who represent it.
Eilish reshared a collection of infographics created by the campaign group My Voice, My Choice. The graphics outlined several hypothetical ways Musk could redistribute his future trillion-dollar fortune, presenting a stark contrast between global humanitarian needs and his personal wealth.
Among the proposals:
Each projection illustrated how even a fraction of Musk’s potential earnings could dramatically reshape the lives of millions of people.
After sharing the organization’s slides, Eilish added a sharp caption of her own: “F***ing pathetic p**** b**** coward.” The message, left without additional explanation, has been widely interpreted to be directed at the Tesla and SpaceX CEO.
Her criticism came as Musk edges closer to becoming the world's first trillionaire, thanks to a massive Tesla pay package that could ultimately be worth around $1 trillion (€865 billion) if he hits long-term performance milestones, according to TIME.
That compensation vote passed with more than 75 percent approval at Tesla’s annual meeting last Thursday, despite shrinking sales and intense public scrutiny over the scale of Musk’s executive payout.
Musk was not present when Eilish addressed the WSJ Innovator Awards, but the room that night included several members of the billionaire class, from Mark Zuckerberg to George Lucas to Hailey Bieber.
During her speech, Eilish openly questioned the concept of extreme wealth, telling the audience, “There’s a few people in here who have a lot more money than me. If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?”
She went on to urge those with significant resources to give more away, adding: “People need empathy and help more than ever, especially in our country.”
Billie Eilish called out billionaires during her speech at the WSJ Innovator Awards ceremony. Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images.
Eilish’s comments were backed by her own financial commitment. At the Innovator Awards, it was revealed that she will donate $11.5 million from her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour to The Changemaker Project, an initiative dedicated to addressing poverty, inequality, and climate change.
Her escalating criticism of billionaire wealth, paired with substantial philanthropic action, has only strengthened her reputation as one of the most outspoken young voices in pop culture, and one unafraid to challenge the world’s richest individuals directly.
