An in-depth look at Billie Eilish: Her early life, collaboration with her brother, Finneas, and how she broke into the music industry

Billie Eilish is an American singer/songwriter who, at the age of 18, became the youngest person ever to win a Grammy Award in 2020. 

Backed by her brother, Finneas O’Connell, who produces all of her songs, Eilish rose to fame via the free streaming platform Soundcloud, amassing legions of fans obsessed her catchy beats, angelic vocals, and lyrics that detail her struggles with anxiety and depression.

Eilish’s distinctive, acid-green hair and baggy, gender-fluid style have generated nearly as much attention as her songs. Unlike Britney Spears and Beyoncé, whose bodies were seemingly marketed along with their music through form-fitting clothing and provocative dance moves, Eilish’s ambiguous style has been praised as a form of body acceptance and even self-love. 

And while capitalizing on teen angst is not a new phenomenon, Eilish does it especially well, forging a deep connection with her listeners through two studio albums to the tune of $54 million — and counting.

What is Billie Eilish’s net worth?

As of April 2024, Eilish has an estimated net worth of $53 million — which is not bad for someone who told Vanity Fair they hated being famous.

“There’s a lot in fame that’s f***ing gross and horrible and just miserable … But I’m very grateful for it, and it’s really rare and I’m very lucky, so I’m done with complaining about it.” 

—Billie Eilish, Vanity Fair interview, 2019

You could say Eilish has taken her insecurities all the way to the bank. As the youngest member of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2019 — she was just 18 at the time — Eilish has sold more than 45 million digital singles and five million albums and traveled around the globe twice on world tours. 

Five of her songs have cracked the Top 10 on Billboard; “When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?” was the #1-selling album of 2019. She also won two Oscars, in 2022 and 2024, for her songs "No Time to Die'' from the James Bond film of the same name and “What Was I Made For?” from the 2023 smash “Barbie.” 

In addition to her music, Eilish reportedly earned $25 million from her 2021 documentary “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.” The film even spawned a bidding war between streaming services, which Apple TV+ eventually won.

For his help producing his sister’s records and other artists, like Selena Gomez, Camilla Cabello, and Justin Bieber, as well as take-home pay from his own acting career, Finneas O'Connell, Billie's brother, has amassed millions of his own. 2024 estimates place his wealth at $30 million, which means that the O’Connell family is assured of a very comfortable life ahead, with combined total assets of $83 million.

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Billie Eilish’s early life

Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O’Connell was born in Highland Park, Los Angeles, on December 18, 2001. She told The Guardian that her family was poor when she was growing up, and she only had one pair of shoes and a shirt. 

Her parents, Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell, were actors who appeared on a variety of TV shows, including “Friends,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and “The West Wing.” They lived a peripatetic existence, supplementing their income with side jobs in an assortment of professions, including teaching and carpentry.

Eilish and Finneas were homeschooled, which gave them the freedom to find out what they wanted to do in life, Eilish said. They were also allowed to try their hands at an endless array of creative pursuits, from piano and songwriting to dancing, acting, and horseback riding, which Eilish funded by working part-time. 

Eilish suffers from Tourette’s Syndrome, which causes her eyes to twitch. She also sustained an injury to her hip in her childhood, which ended her dancing career and contributed to a negative body image.

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How did Billie Eilish break into the music industry?

Eilish’s unique perspective was apparent from her first song. Written at age 11 for her mom’s songwriting class, it was inspired by “The Walking Dead” and detailed the zombie apocalypse.

Finneas also had a keen interest in music and had begun writing and producing songs while he was a teenager. He also started a band, the Slightlys. Deciding that his song, “Ocean Eyes,” was best suited for a female voice, in 2015, he gave the song to Eilish to perform for her class at Revolution Dance Center. They also uploaded the single to Soundcloud “just for fun,” they said — only to watch it go viral overnight. In total, “Ocean Eyes” amassed over 6.3 billion views.

The song caught the attention of music executives, and Eilish received a contract from Platoon, an Apple Music label devoted to up-and-coming talent. The label’s deep connections put Eilish in touch with a publicist and a stylist, and in 2016, she was signed to Darkroom and Interscope Records. 

“Ocean Eyes” was rereleased, along with the singles “Six Feet Under” and “Bellyache.” Eilish was featured at the South by Southwest Music Festival in 2017 and released her first studio EP, “Don’t Smile at Me,” that year as well.

Billie Eilish's discography

“Don’t Smile at Me” offered a look inside Eilish’s dark storytelling. The title song was based on a comment Eilish made about how she hated smiling because she felt “weak and powerless and small.” Apple Music gave Eilish the distinction of being their “Up Next” artist, and she collaborated on songs with Vince Staples, Khalid, and Rosalía.

Eilish’s 2019 studio album, “When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?” was based on Eilish’s fascination with what goes bump in the dark. A nightmarish tale inspired by lucid dreaming, the album features her #1 hit, “Bad Guy.” 

Following the album, Eilish released a remix of “Bad Guy” with her idol, Justin Bieber. She also embarked on her first world tour, beginning with a performance at the Coachella Music Festival. That year, she won four Grammys: Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year.

In 2021, Eilish released her second studio album, “Happier Than Ever,” which was largely a take on the downsides of fame. She embarked on another year-long world tour and released a concert film, “Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles,” produced by Disney+.

Eilish headlined the Glastonbury Music Festival in 2022 and, along with “No Time to Die,” she also released three songs for the Pixar Film, “Turning Red.”

“Guitar Songs,” a surprise, two-song EP, was released in 2023. It featured Eilish’s ethereal lyricism at its finest, backed only by acoustic guitar. “What Was I Made For?” was also released as part of the “Barbie” film soundtrack.

Eilish’s next studio album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft” will be released on May 17, 2024. Her website teases it as “her most daring album yet” that “bends genres and defies trends along the way.”

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What is Billie Eilish known for?

As an environmentalist, Eilish eschews private jet travel and advocates for sustainable fashion, animal rights (she is vegan), women’s rights, abortion rights, and body positivity. She also performed at the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

What are Billie Eilish’s other ventures?

Eilish is a darling of the fashion world. In addition to her ad for Calvin Klein, she collaborated on clothing lines with designer Takashi Murakami and Freak City, a clothing brand. She launched a vegan perfume, “Eilish” in 2021. She has also partnered with Adobe Creative Cloud and Apple’s Music Lab.

Who is Billie Eilish dating?

Eilish is notoriously private about her relationships. However, in a 2023 cover story for Variety’s “Power of Women” issue, Eilish said was attracted to women, although she also felt intimidated by them. She has been in relationships with “The Neighbourhood’s” lead singer, Jesse Rutherford, actor Matthew Tyler Vorce, and rapper Brandon Quention Adams, also known as 7:AMP.