Billie Eilish recently went viral for calling out billionaires and slamming Elon Musk while demanding he personally end world hunger, vaccinate every child, and rebuild Gaza.

But is she right?

In this video, I push back on the internet’s temptation to villainize billionaires. We dive into why most of their wealth isn’t cash they’re hoarding, how they already give away fortunes (and why that’s still never enough for critics), why Elon Musk might have done more for the climate than most activists, and how the explosion of billionaires from 140 in 1987 to over 3,000 today happened at the exact same time over a billion people escaped extreme poverty.

If you think billionaires are evil, greedy, or should just “give it all away,” watch this before you decide. You might be surprised what the numbers (and common sense) actually say.

Drop your thoughts below — I read every comment.

Learn more at: https://fee.org/ or https://thefreemanmag.substack.com/

Further reading and sources:

Why Billionaires Are Good for Us

Well Done, Billionaires

The Myth That Billionaires “Hoard” Wealth

You Are Richer than John D. Rockefeller

We’ll All Be Economic Casualties in the War on Wealth

https://www.aei.org/op-eds/in-defense-of-billionaires/
https://www.cato.org/blog/billionaires

In Defense of Wealth

https://pagesix.com/2025/11/13/entertainment/billie-eilish-blasts-pathetic-elon-musk-after-calling-out-billionaire-mark-zuckerberg/
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/w/wealth.asp
https://www.bridgespan.org/insights/how-americas-most-generous-philanthropists-are-giving-big
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/much-cash-billionaires-actually-keep-192637533.html
https://magatte.substack.com/p/how-mrbeast-is-keeping-africa-poor
https://magatte.substack.com/p/does-africa-really-need-usaid