Topline
Singer Billie Eilish slammed Elon Musk on her Instagram stories Thursday afternoon, suggesting in an expletive-laden series of posts Musk could use his wealth to help end world hunger or other crises, weeks after the singer’s comments urging billionaires to give their money away went viral.
Eilish previously went viral for urging billionaires to give away their money while accepting an award. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Eilish called Musk a “f***ing pathetic p***y b**** coward” on her Instagram story after sharing multiple posts from the European feminist organization My Voice, My Choice, which suggested various ways Musk could use his wealth to help others.
The singer shared a slide suggesting Musk is wealthy enough to spend $40 billion per year to end world hunger by 2030, ostensibly referring to a United Nations World Food Programme estimate that such an amount could help the more than 41 million people “knocking on famine’s door.”
Eilish shared another slide saying Musk could spend billions to help save endangered species, and another citing a United Nations statistic that $70 billion could help rebuild Gaza after the massive destruction it faced during the Israel-Hamas war.
Eilish reposted another picture that incorrectly labels Musk a trillionaire—he is worth slightly less than half of that, according to Forbes estimates—though the picture likely refers to a recent $1 trillion pay package Tesla shareholders approved which could eventually make him a trillionaire within a decade if certain conditions are met.
What Else Has Billie Eilish Said About Billionaires?
While accepting the Music Innovator Award at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards on Oct. 29, Eilish called out billionaires and urged them to give away their money: “Love you all, but there’s a few people in here that have a lot more money than me. If you are a billionaire, why are you a billionaire? No hate, but give your money away, shorties.” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is worth an estimated $208 billion, was present in the audience, as was “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, who is worth $5.2 billion. At the event, late-night host Stephen Colbert introduced Eilish and announced she would donate $11.5 million in proceeds from her most recent tour “to support organizations, projects and voices dedicated to food equity, client justice, reducing carbon pollution and combating the climate crisis.” Eilish’s comments went viral and sparked both praise and criticism, as some noted Zuckerberg has already given away $5 billion to charity, according to Forbes estimates. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said Eilish’s comment asking why people are billionaires is the “right question,” adding there is “nobody in this country who got rich on their own” and billionaires should “pay their fair share.”
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