During a recent event at the Oval Office with President Donald Trump, Elon Musk made several unfounded claims that have sparked an investigation into their validity. Musk, the billionaire now leading the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), asserted his team’s commitment to enhancing government transparency without providing concrete evidence. He made sweeping allegations of corruption within government agencies and defended false accusations he had previously spread regarding US funds supposedly being allocated to send condoms to Gaza.
BBC Verify has undertaken an examination of Musk’s assertions. In response to a journalist’s inquiry about a recent White House statement repeated by Musk concerning the prevention of a $50 million shipment of condoms to the Gaza Strip, Musk appeared to backtrack when it was suggested that the intended destination was actually Gaza Province in Mozambique. Musk questioned the substantial allocation for condoms, expressing uncertainty about the need for such a significant expenditure.
Reports on X have drawn attention to US funding earmarked for an HIV-prevention program in Gaza, Mozambique. Records from the US government reveal an allocation of $83.5 million for initiatives focused on HIV and TB prevention, care, support, and treatment in Gaza, Mozambique until September 2026. Following communication with the funding agency, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), it was clarified that no funds had been allocated for condom procurement.
Contradictory statements emerged from the US State Department, indicating that two $50 million donations intended for the Gaza Strip through the International Medical Corps had been halted, allegedly involving contraceptives like condoms. However, the aid agency denied awareness of future US funding for contraceptives in Gaza and confirmed that no funds received since October 2023 had been used for condom distribution.
The US has historically supported global family planning efforts, including distributing contraceptives abroad, with part of the $60.8 million allocated in the 2023 fiscal year going towards contraceptives, but none designated for Gaza. Musk indirectly referenced Samantha Power, a former USAID administrator, in response to President Trump’s inquiry about significant financial discrepancies reportedly linked to her tenure. Claims circulating on social media question a substantial increase in Power’s net worth during her time at USAID, suggesting impropriety.
Further allegations regarding Power’s finances were alluded to in Musk’s interaction on X.
During a meeting in the Oval Office, Elon Musk raised concerns about individuals within the bureaucracy who seem to amass significant wealth far beyond their official salaries, suggesting that this may be happening at the expense of taxpayers. He mentioned USAID as an example, questioning how some officials managed to accumulate tens of millions of dollars while holding positions with salaries in the hundreds of thousands. These comments were in response to President Trump’s query about the wealth accumulation of a particular individual.
Critics of Samantha Power, a former USAID administrator, have alleged without evidence that she experienced a sudden surge in wealth or unfairly benefited from her role beyond her salary. These claims have been associated with a website’s estimate of her net worth, which falls within a wide range based on disclosed income sources such as teaching, investments, speaking engagements, and book royalties. Analysis of her financial disclosures suggests that her wealth was substantial before joining USAID and has not drastically changed, though the exact figures vary across different forms and years.
Regarding social security, Musk made unsubstantiated remarks about potential fraud and inefficiencies in the system, suggesting instances of individuals claiming benefits despite being deceased or reaching extreme ages like 150 years old. While reports have highlighted issues with maintaining accurate records and detecting fraud in social security payments, specific evidence supporting claims of 150-year-olds receiving benefits is lacking.
Efforts to verify these claims and ensure the integrity of social security programs continue, with ongoing scrutiny and updates to address potential discrepancies and protect the system’s sustainability.
In 2021, the Social Security Administration discovered that approximately 24,000 individuals had been receiving payments from the agency even after their passing, totaling nearly $300 million. This alarming revelation shone a light on potential flaws within the system, prompting questions about oversight and accountability.
Interestingly, a report by the Pew Research Center in 2024 revealed that there were an estimated 101,000 centenarians living in the United States. Given that Social Security benefits are typically associated with retired individuals, it is plausible to assume that a significant portion of these centenarians are beneficiaries of the program.
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk recently raised concerns about governmental inefficiencies, citing a peculiar bottleneck in the retirement process for federal employees. Musk claimed that due to the archaic practice of manually recording paperwork in a limestone mine, only 10,000 federal employees could retire each month. The reliance on physical paperwork stored underground seemed almost antiquated in an era of digital advancements.
Further investigation uncovered that the retirement paperwork for federal employees is indeed processed in an unconventional manner, deep within the confines of Iron Mountain, a high-security storage facility nestled in Pennsylvania. Over 700 mine workers toil 230 feet below the surface, meticulously handling around 10,000 applications monthly. The archaic process involves storing these applications in manila envelopes and cardboard boxes, creating a stark contrast to the modern age of digitization.
The 2019 audit report shed light on the challenges faced by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in managing the federal retirement program. The report highlighted that between 2014 and 2017, the OPM struggled to meet its target of processing retirement applications within a 60-day timeframe. The root causes of these delays were attributed to the reliance on manual processing and paper applications, as well as issues with staffing and incomplete submissions.
Despite the emergence of these issues, the audit report did not explicitly address any shortcomings related to the storage facility or its elevators. It appears that the inefficiencies primarily stemmed from bureaucratic practices rather than infrastructure shortcomings.
Government data indicates that the volume of retirement claims processed for civil service and federal employees seldom surpasses 10,000 per month. The data also suggests that the processing of these claims can span multiple months, further underscoring the strain on the system.
In light of these revelations, BBC Verify has initiated contact with the OPM to delve deeper into Musk’s assertions. The inquiry aims to scrutinize the operational intricacies of the federal retirement program and unveil any underlying challenges that may impede the efficient processing of retirement applications.
As the investigation unfolds, it is imperative to address the broader implications of these findings. The juxtaposition of traditional paperwork practices with the contemporary technological landscape raises pertinent questions about modernization and efficiency within government operations.
The confluence of Musk’s claims, the audit report’s findings, and the OPM’s operational challenges paints a complex picture of the federal retirement system. By shedding light on these intricacies, we strive to foster transparency
