Billionaire entrepreneur and government efficiency czar Elon Musk has uncovered something strange in the Social Security Administration (SSA) database—millions of Americans listed as being over 100 years old, with some appearing to be 150 or older.
And somehow, according to the government’s own records, these individuals are still alive and kicking.
Musk, never one to hold back, took to his social media platform, X (formerly Twitter), to joke that there must be “vampires” collecting Social Security benefits.
But behind the humor lies a serious concern: Is this a sign of rampant fraud, or just another example of government incompetence?
According to SSA records, over 20 million people are marked as being at least 100 years old. Many of them have no official date of death, and some haven’t had any reported income or received benefits in over 50 years.
This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re all fraudsters cashing in on undeserved benefits, but it does raise serious questions about how well the federal government is keeping track of its own data.
In fact, an audit from the SSA’s own watchdog confirmed that 18.9 million records were outdated or incorrect. Musk sees this as a sign that the system is broken, allowing potential fraud and waste to go unchecked.
To be clear, there’s no hard evidence yet that these errors are leading to widespread fraud—at least not on the scale Musk suggests. However, outdated government records can lead to identity theft, illegal use of Social Security numbers, and unnecessary government waste.
For example, some individuals may be using these inactive Social Security numbers to work under false identities. In other cases, benefits might still be getting sent out to accounts that should have been shut down decades ago.
Supporters of Musk’s efforts say that uncovering these errors is long overdue and could save taxpayers billions of dollars in waste.
Critics, however, argue that while the errors are embarrassing, there’s little proof that dead people are actually cashing checks.
In response to Musk’s findings, the Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General has launched an audit of the federal government’s payment system to assess the security risks of outdated Social Security records.
Meanwhile, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been pushing to gain access to more detailed Social Security data to identify and correct fraudulent claims.
However, this effort has hit legal roadblocks, with privacy advocates arguing that handing over sensitive taxpayer data—even for the sake of efficiency—could open the door to misuse or government overreach.
A federal court has even issued a temporary restraining order against DOGE, limiting its access to certain records until the legal battles play out.
The real issue here isn’t just about whether a few people are scamming Social Security. The bigger concern is that the federal government is operating on outdated, broken systems that allow errors like this to persist for decades.
The Social Security Administration’s databases haven’t been modernized in years, and the lack of real-time record updates means mistakes pile up and go unnoticed.
When the government can’t even track who’s alive and who’s dead, it’s no wonder trust in federal institutions continues to erode.
For Musk and his supporters, this isn’t just about fixing one broken system—it’s about proving that big government is bloated, inefficient, and in desperate need of reform.
Critics argue that Musk is making mountains out of molehills, exaggerating the issue for political points. But one thing is clear: The Social Security system is due for a serious upgrade. And if fixing government waste means embarrassing the bureaucrats in charge, Musk seems more than happy to do it.
Musk’s revelations have sparked a heated debate over the future of Social Security and government efficiency.
Should the government allow his team more access to dig deeper, or is the risk to taxpayer privacy too high?
Will the audit uncover actual fraud, or just a decades-old mess of outdated records?
Whether this leads to real reform or just another round of political finger-pointing remains to be seen.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
