Why Moby Is Donating 100% Of His Profits At Coachella

Moby took over the Mojave Tent on Friday night. His emotionally charged set, featuring guest Jacob Lusk on “Natural Blues” and “When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die,” became a platform for his lifelong commitment to animals.

On Instagram, he announced his decision to donate his proceeds to benefit animals.

“My main job in life is working as an animal rights activist,” Moby has shared. “My hope is to use the revenue and attention from my Coachella show to draw attention to, and financially support, animal rights organizations.”

Purpose before profit

As Moby shared in his 2017 TED Talk, “I was raised by animals.” Growing up, he found sanctuary in all the rescued animals that shared his home—adopted dogs, cats, lab rats, mice, hamsters, baby squirrels. He loved these animals. But, he says, “I also loved hamburgers, and I loved hot dogs, and I loved pizza with sausage and pepperoni.” It was the status quo: “everyone I knew loved animals, but everyone I knew loved eating animals.”

When he was ten, he found a kitten, barely alive, abandoned in a cardboard box. He named him Tucker. While the local vet wasn't sure Tucker would survive without a mother, an unlikely hero stepped in: his grandmother’s dog George, “the world’s most misanthropic Dachshund.” As Moby tells it, George “became Tucker’s mom,” cleaning the tiny kitten, warming him, and nursing him to health.

Years later, Moby was sitting on his mom’s front steps with Tucker and had an epiphany. He saw an individual with two eyes, a central nervous system, and a rich emotional life. He realized that Tucker—just like the animals on factory farms—had a deep desire to avoid pain and to simply be happy. “In that moment, I left behind hamburgers, hot dogs, etc., and I became a vegan and an animal activist.”

Since then, Moby has used his voice to remind us of what we already know in our hearts: animals are living, feeling beings, not products. Today, that mission is more urgent than ever. Corporations often hide the truth of how animals are treated, but through your support and the generosity of advocates like Moby, we are bringing that truth to light.

Moby’s Coachella donation will be split among four organizations: The Humane League, Mercy For Animals, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Direct Action Everywhere. Each group represents a different approach to ending animal suffering, from corporate pressure campaigns to medical research to direct action for animals. When one of electronic music’s most influential artists uses his platform—and his proceeds—to support organizations working to end factory farming, it sends a clear signal that compassion for animals isn’t a fringe issue anymore. Moby’s gift is both a validation of this work and fuel to keep it going.

As Moby continues touring and creating music that bridges entertainment with activism, his commitment reminds us that every platform can become a voice for animals.