Lady Gaga raised $35m in a week to fight coronavirus. Jeff Bezos did not end world hunger today, despite being worth $117bn. (Pradeep Gaur/Mint/Kevin Mazur via Getty)
In one week, Lady Gaga has raised $35m from corporations and rich people to help tackle the coronavirus pandemic.
The popstar spent seven days calling up corporate leaders and wealthy philanthropists to ask for donations to the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
The money will go towards global personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, coronavirus testing kits and help improve worldwide capacity to process the tests, she said at a WHO media briefing.
The singer, actor and noted virologist was the special guest at the WHO’s media briefing yesterday. She also spent her birthday on the phone to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO, talking about how she could help with efforts to end the pandemic.
“We have said consistently that we are all in this together and we can only succeed together,” Ghebreyesus said when announcing Lady Gaga.
“We need an all-of-society approach with everyone playing their part. That includes people in the entertainment industry.”
The Chromatica singer spoke at the press conference to reveal details of the One World: Together at Home concert special.
Lady Gaga, Elton John, Billie Eilish and Lizzo are among the stars who will perform at the special concert on April 18.
“We are all so very grateful to all of the health-care professionals across the country and the world who are on the front lines during COVID-19,” she said.
Gaga confirmed that all proceeds from the benefit will be used to help protect vital healthcare workers – and that she intends to raise the money first, so that people can enjoy the concert.
“When we do air live on April 18,” she said, “put your wallet away, put anything away that you need to, and sit back and enjoy the show that you all very much deserve.”
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos did not end world hunger today.
Jeff Bezos has decided he will not end world hunger today.
— Has Jeff Bezos Decided To End World Hunger? (@HasBezosDecided) April 6, 2020
Workers at Amazon, the company that made Bezos more rich than is sensible, are calling for safer working conditions during the pandemic and say they fear going into work because of a lack of PPE.
The founder of Amazon is worth more than $117 billion.
$11 billion per year is estimated to be the cost of ending world hunger.