Billionaire Elon Musk and pop star Billie Eilish have become embroiled in a public dispute after the singer criticized the Tesla CEO for hoarding wealth while global crises remain unaddressed.
The exchange began when Eilish shared a series of posts on Instagram last week, highlighting Musk’s fortune and suggesting that he could do more to tackle issues such as hunger, wildlife conservation, and post-conflict reconstruction. Her remarks followed reports that a new Tesla compensation plan could make Musk the world’s first trillionaire.
Musk responded on X, sharing a screenshot of Eilish’s posts and delivering a pointed retort: “She’s not the sharpest tool in the shed.”
Eilish has increasingly used her platform to question extreme wealth. At last month’s WSJ Innovator Awards, which included prominent billionaires such as Mark Zuckerberg, she asked why individuals should hold such vast sums of money, arguing that billionaires wield disproportionate resources. The 22-year-old singer has also pledged more than $11 million from her current tour to support climate initiatives and humanitarian projects.
The confrontation highlights growing public scrutiny of billionaire wealth and the social responsibilities of the world’s richest individuals.