'I wouldn’t change my past if you gave me a trillion dollars,' will.i.am says on his humble beginnings

Philanthropist and entertainer will.i.am spoke of the values helium learned from his household and his assemblage arsenic a child, saying determination was thing helium would alteration astir his upbringing.

"I wouldn't alteration my past if you gave maine a trillion dollars," helium told CNBC's Tania Bryer astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland, connected Thursday.

"If you accidental here, here's a trillion dollars, springiness maine your memories of the past oregon this trillion bucks. Like nah, I'll support my memories of the past," helium said.

"You can't instrumentality that from me, you can't instrumentality my emotion for my community, my emotion for my neighbors, that was beautiful," will.i.am added.

When helium was a child, his parent signed their household up to manus retired nutrient to mediocre families successful their neighborhood, helium explained. "The 1 happening mediocre radical don't privation is erstwhile affluent radical travel and springiness them food. So, my household signed up to springiness the escaped nutrient to the mediocre families, and we were 1 of the mediocre families," helium said successful the interview.

"As brainsick arsenic that whitethorn dependable that that was a horrible beingness to live, it was a beauteous beingness acquisition due to the fact that everyone was poor, but we were each determination for 1 another," helium added.

Growing up, helium saw what his parent was doing and the quality she was making but did not deliberation helium could person a akin impact, helium said.

Will.i.am present advocates for much STEAM acquisition successful the signifier of extra-curricular activities, tutoring and dedicated preparatory schools for children and teenagers surviving successful areas similar the 1 helium grew up successful done his i.am/Angel Foundation. Many of the students successful the programme spell connected to high-ranking colleges and survey engineering-related degrees, will.i.am told CNBC.

In 2016, helium won the World Economic Forum's Crystal Award, which honors artists that could relation arsenic relation models for satellite leaders.

The enactment has precocious besides worked with respective different organizations and authoritative bodies to supply net entree to students to alteration them survey from location astatine nary cost, the creator explained.

During the coronavirus pandemic, galore parents could nary longer spend wi-fi arsenic they abruptly had higher expenses for nutrient arsenic their children nary longer received escaped meal and luncheon successful school, helium added.

"Connectivity should beryllium a quality close similar drinking h2o connected tap. It's there, and connectivity should beryllium looked astatine the same," will.i.am said.