US Treasury annually disburses $100 billion to unidentified recipients, says Musk
Elon Musk has claimed that the US Treasury allocates $100 billion each year to unidentified individuals and advocates for reforms to tackle possible fraud. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
The Department of Government Efficiency has discovered that $100 billion is disbursed each year to individuals lacking proper identification.
Elon Musk, who heads the new Department of Government Efficiency, reported that the US Treasury dispenses over $100 billion annually to people without Social Security Numbers or even temporary identification. He has called for swift reforms to tackle potential fraud and inefficiencies within the payment systems.
The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X has taken on a role as a “special government employee” to lead the Department of Government Efficiency under President Donald Trump’s administration, serving as one of Trump’s key advisers. Although referred to as a department, this agency is a temporary entity aimed at reducing governmental expenditures. Musk has set an ambitious target of cutting the federal deficit by at least $1 trillion, necessitating daily reductions of about $4 billion.
“To be clear, what the @DOGE team and @USTreasury have jointly agreed makes sense is the following:
- Require that all outgoing government payments have a payment categorization code, which is necessary in order to pass financial audits. This is frequently left blank, making...” — Elon Musk, February 8, 2025.
“Yesterday, I was told that there are currently over $100B/year of entitlements payments to individuals with no SSN or even a temporary ID number. If accurate, this is extremely suspicious,” Musk shared on X.
Treasury officials indicate that nearly half of these payments—around $50 billion annually, or $1 billion weekly—could be fraudulent, according to Musk. He characterized the situation as “utterly insane and must be addressed immediately.”
In response, Musk noted that DOGE and the Treasury Department have agreed to implement measures that will improve the transparency and accountability of government payments. This includes mandating that all outgoing payments include a categorization code, which Musk highlighted is often omitted, complicating audits.
Moreover, every payment should carry a rationale in the comment field, a detail that is frequently left out.
Musk commented that being added to the “Do-Not-Pay” list can currently take as long as a year. This list comprises individuals associated with fraudulent activities, deceased individuals, suspected fronts for terrorist organizations, and recipients whose information does not align with Congressional appropriations. He has requested updates at least weekly, if not daily.
He underscored that these initiatives are being carried out by seasoned career government employees rather than DOGE personnel and expressed his disbelief that such essential reforms were not already established.
Recently, DOGE announced that it had successfully saved over $1 billion by eliminating contracts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The disclosed index lists 30 federal agencies, revealing that 104 contracts with a total value exceeding $1.2 billion were revoked.
In a post on X, Musk referred to DOGE as “the wood chipper for bureaucracy.”
Additionally, Musk's team has gained access to the federal payment system thanks to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, allowing them to monitor and limit government spending. This access has raised alarms among some officials, concerned about possible conflicts of interest and the safeguarding of sensitive taxpayer information. Lawyers from the US Justice Department have consented to a proposed order that would temporarily restrict DOGE’s access to sensitive financial data at the Treasury Department.
READ MORE: Trump’s DOGE claims $1 billion saved on cancelled DEI programs.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
Elon Musk, who heads the new Department of Government Efficiency, reported that the US Treasury dispenses over $100 billion annually to people without Social Security Numbers or even temporary identification. He has called for swift reforms to tackle potential fraud and inefficiencies within the payment systems.
The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and owner of X has taken on a role as a “special government employee” to lead the Department of Government Efficiency under President Donald Trump’s administration, serving as one of Trump’s key advisers. Although referred to as a department, this agency is a temporary entity aimed at reducing governmental expenditures. Musk has set an ambitious target of cutting the federal deficit by at least $1 trillion, necessitating daily reductions of about $4 billion.
“To be clear, what the @DOGE team and @USTreasury have jointly agreed makes sense is the following:
- Require that all outgoing government payments have a payment categorization code, which is necessary in order to pass financial audits. This is frequently left blank, making...” — Elon Musk, February 8, 2025.
“Yesterday, I was told that there are currently over $100B/year of entitlements payments to individuals with no SSN or even a temporary ID number. If accurate, this is extremely suspicious,” Musk shared on X.
Treasury officials indicate that nearly half of these payments—around $50 billion annually, or $1 billion weekly—could be fraudulent, according to Musk. He characterized the situation as “utterly insane and must be addressed immediately.”
In response, Musk noted that DOGE and the Treasury Department have agreed to implement measures that will improve the transparency and accountability of government payments. This includes mandating that all outgoing payments include a categorization code, which Musk highlighted is often omitted, complicating audits.
Moreover, every payment should carry a rationale in the comment field, a detail that is frequently left out.
Musk commented that being added to the “Do-Not-Pay” list can currently take as long as a year. This list comprises individuals associated with fraudulent activities, deceased individuals, suspected fronts for terrorist organizations, and recipients whose information does not align with Congressional appropriations. He has requested updates at least weekly, if not daily.
He underscored that these initiatives are being carried out by seasoned career government employees rather than DOGE personnel and expressed his disbelief that such essential reforms were not already established.
Recently, DOGE announced that it had successfully saved over $1 billion by eliminating contracts related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The disclosed index lists 30 federal agencies, revealing that 104 contracts with a total value exceeding $1.2 billion were revoked.
In a post on X, Musk referred to DOGE as “the wood chipper for bureaucracy.”
Additionally, Musk's team has gained access to the federal payment system thanks to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, allowing them to monitor and limit government spending. This access has raised alarms among some officials, concerned about possible conflicts of interest and the safeguarding of sensitive taxpayer information. Lawyers from the US Justice Department have consented to a proposed order that would temporarily restrict DOGE’s access to sensitive financial data at the Treasury Department.
READ MORE: Trump’s DOGE claims $1 billion saved on cancelled DEI programs.
Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News
