KEY POINTS
- Musk said the "radical left" was accusing him of "stealing social security"
- Tesla stocks have suffered since Musk became head of the DOGE
- He remains the richest man on Forbes' billionaires list as of early Monday
Elon Musk has clapped back at his critics who are raising concerns over methods employed by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team in unraveling what the tech titan said were "fraudulent" activities within the U.S. social security system.
A close advisor to President Donald Trump, the billionaire said during a Sunday town hall at Green Bay, Wisconsin, that he was accused of "stealing social security," reiterating that he doesn't need social security funds at all.
Musk blasts "radical left" for accusations over social security
For Musk, accusations about his workaround eliminating "fraud" in government systems are baseless.
"The radical left are saying that, somehow, we're stealing social security. First of all, I don't need the money, okay," he said to a crowd, which erupted in laughter.
Musk stressed his work at the DOGE was "costing me a lot," adding that the left was attempting to put pressure on him to stop what he was doing with his government audit department by finding ways to attack one of his several companies, electric vehicle giant Tesla.
It really is https://t.co/gF5jOhlhDC
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2025
"I'm not getting paid, definitely not stealing money, and will never get away with it [if I did steal anything]," Musk said, following which an audience member yelled, "Thank you," to which he responded with, "You're welcome."
The crowd erupted into applause and a standing ovation.
Musk also alleged that they found "20 million people marked alive on the social security base," a claim some critics argue was being used to further push his and Trump's narrative about the supposed questionable data within the social security database.
Does Elon Musk need money?
Tesla stocks plunged as people across the country, including Democratic lawmakers, questioned Musk and DOGE's strategies in their efforts toward government downsizing and auditing.
Musk revealed Sunday that the value of his Tesla stocks has been slashed in half, making his DOGE job "very expensive."
Still, he remains on top of everyone else on the Forbes Real Time Billionaires List as of early Monday. Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos is in second place, followed by Meta's Mark Zuckerberg.
Musk has an estimated net worth of over $342 billion. Aside from Tesla and SpaceX, he also has several other companies, including artificial intelligence company xAI and neurotechnology firm Neuralink.
On the other hand, the tech billionaire is said to be earning much from the government through contracts. SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell has said the space exploration company has secured about $22 billion in government contracts, the majority of which is from NASA.
Tech titan's DOGE woes
Since taking up the lead role at the DOGE, Musk has faced increased criticism over his department's aggressive methods in downsizing the federal government and auditing strategies.
There are new protests that advocate for a "Tesla takedown." Demonstrators staged their protests outside Tesla showrooms across the country and worldwide, including in D.C. and Austin, over the weekend.
Musk has been criticized for plans to "cut" social security benefits without congressional intervention. The DOGE has also been temporarily blocked from accessing data within the Social Security Administration that includes the sensitive information of Americans.
Musk has said there was much "fraud" going on within the social security system. When asked in an interview how the DOGE can reassure Americans that their social security benefits won't be affected by the work the unit is doing, Musk said "what we're doing will help their benefits," pledging that legitimate people under the system will receive "more" instead of less.
Elon Musk has clapped back at his critics who are raising concerns over methods employed by his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team in unraveling what the tech titan said were "fraudulent" activities within the U.S. social security system.
A close advisor to President Donald Trump, the billionaire said during a Sunday town hall at Green Bay Wisconsin, that he was accused of "stealing social security," reiterating that he doesn't need social security funds at all.
Musk blasts "radical left" for accusations over social security
For Musk, accusations about his work around eliminating "fraud" in government systems are baseless.
"The radical left are saying that, somehow, we're stealing social security. First of all, I don't need the money, okay," he said to a crowd, which erupted in laughter.
Musk stressed his work at the DOGE was "costing me a lot," adding that the left was attempting to put pressure on him to stop what he was doing with his government audit department by finding ways to attack one of his several companies, electric vehicle giant Tesla.
It really is https://t.co/gF5jOhlhDC
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 31, 2025
"I'm not getting paid, definitely not stealing money, and will never get away with it [if I did steal anything]. An audience member yelled, "Thank you," to which Musk responded with, "You're welcome."
The crowd erupted into applause and a standing ovation.
Musk also alleged that they found "20 million people marked alive on the social security base," a claim some critics argue was being used to reinforce concerns raised by him and Trump about potential issues with the data in the system.
Does Elon Musk need money?
Tesla stocks plunged as people across the country, including Democratic lawmakers, questioned Musk and DOGE's strategies in their efforts toward government downsizing and auditing.
Musk revealed Sunday that the value of his Tesla stocks has been slashed to half, making his DOGE job "very expensive."
Still, he remains on top of everyone else on the Forbes Real Time Billionaires List as of early Monday. Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos is at second place, followed by Meta's Mark Zuckerberg.
Musk has an estimated net worth of over $342 billion. Aside from Tesla and SpaceX, he also has several other companies, including artificial intelligence company xAI and neurotechnology firm Neuralink.
On the other hand, the tech billionaire is said to be earning much from the government through contracts. SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell has said the space exploration company has secured about $22 billion in government contracts, majority of which is from NASA.
Tech titan's DOGE woes
Since taking up the lead role at the DOGE, Musk has faced increased criticism over his department's aggressive methods in downsizing the federal government and auditing strategies.
There are new protests that advocate for a "Tesla takedown." Demonstrators staged their protests outside Tesla showrooms across the country and worldwide, including in D.C. and Austin, over the weekend.
Musk has been criticized for plans to "cut" social security benefits without congressional intervention. The DOGE has also been temporarily blocked from accessing data within the Social Security Administration that includes the sensitive information of Americans.
Musk has said there was much "fraud" going on within the social security system. When asked in an interview how the DOGE can reassure Americans that their social security benefits won't be affected by the work the unit is doing, Musk said "what we're doing will help their benefits," pledging that legitimate people under the system will receive "more" instead of less.
