“If you’re a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?”

When Americans stop worshipping grotesque wealth, we might have a chance to have a decent society

But Jenner is hardly the only celebrity to have sparked a conversation around extreme wealth, with a number of famous faces previously speaking openly about the huge fortunes amassed by some of the world’s richest people. 

Over the years, plenty of celebrities have spoken out about the eye-watering wealth of their fellow stars and billionaires, from questioning why anyone could possibly need that much money, criticising extravagant lifestyles, or raising concerns about the influence that extreme wealth can have on society and politics. 

For instance, earlier this year, almost 400 millionaires and billionaires across 24 countries signed an open letter calling on global leaders to increase taxes on the super-rich.

It's no surprise Rachel Griffin-Accurso (famously known as Ms Rachel) was crowned one of Rolling Stone's most influential creators in 2025.

But it's not just her work as a children's entertainer that's put her in the spotlight; the creator is also using her platform to speak out about extreme wealth and inequality.

"No one needs a billion dollars. People need food. The end," she wrote on Instagram in October. 

Meanwhile, in response to a comment congratulating her on her new toy line and wishing her to "make billions," Ms Rachel quipped: "I’ll never be a billionaire because I don’t believe that’s right, but thank you! I love giving."

"If you're a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?"— Billie Eilish clocking billionaires.pic.twitter.com/BVpRExp1GQ

Speaking during her acceptance speech, the singer addressed the billionaires in the room (including Mark Zuckerberg and George Lucas) and asked: "If you're a billionaire, why are you a billionaire?"

"If you have money, it would be great to use it for good things, maybe give it to some people that need it," she added.

Eilish also put her money where her mouth was, revealing that she planned to donate $11.5 million from her Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour to various organisations and charities.

Come with me on a very underwhelming apartment tour! also to clarify I have only ONE mouse and he’s cute 🥰

In a 2023 tour of her New York apartment, she shared: "For me personally, I just — I don't like excessive displays of wealth. They make me feel icky. Especially people that have really big houses. It's just really wasteful when there's so many homeless people in this country. I'm just not really like that."

In a separate follow-up clip, she added: "I just want you guys to know that like, first of all, I'm not worth $30 million, not even close. And second of all, I don't give a fuck. I don't need $30 million. What does one person need $30 million for? I've survived on a lot less, and I'm doing just fine."

Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney, who co-founded the Disney empire with his brother Walt, has also been outspoken about the sheer scale of billionaire wealth.

Speaking to The Guardian in 2025, she said: "I am of the belief that every billionaire who can’t live on $999m is kind of a sociopath.

"Like, why? You know, over a billion dollars makes money so fast that it’s almost impossible to get rid of. And so by just sitting on your hands, you become more of a billionaire until you’re a double billionaire. It’s a strange way to live when you have objectively more money than a person can spend."

Mark Ruffalo: "The immigrants aren’t the criminals…most of the crimes committed in this country are by white people."pic.twitter.com/zjcOjPGOSG

In 2025, Ruffalo participated in a No Kings protest against Donald Trump's policies and has used his social media platforms to speak out about ICE raids and Trump's deportation policies.

In a video, he described billionaires as "the true villains", arguing: "It’s time to take our country back from extreme wealth that has its hands all over the power of the nation."

Ruffalo was also among the wealthy signatories of an open letter calling for higher taxes on the super-rich.

Rosie O'Donnell was unimpressed by Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez's lavish 2025 wedding in Venice. 

Writing about the event on Instagram, she said: "It turned my stomach. Seeing all these billionaires gathering in the gross excess of it all. The show of it." 

Daniel Craig has taken a slightly different approach to extreme wealth, questioning the idea of passing huge fortunes down to his children as he finds it "distasteful". 

"I don’t want to leave great sums to the next generation," he told Saga Magazine in 2020. 

"My philosophy is to get rid of it or give it away before you go."

Actor Brian Cox knows a thing or two about playing a fictional billionaire, but he's also been outspoken about the real-world version. 

Writing for The Guardian in 2025, he argued that "These super-rich people are so far out of touch with reality, it’s infuriating."

He went on to argue that wealth had become about control over politics, society, and economies, rather than simply financial worth. 

Additional photo thumbnail credits: Rodin Eckenroth/Dimitrios Kambouris/Amy Sussman (Getty Images)