Elon Musk, the American entrepreneur who heads the US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), claimed on February 8 that the country's Treasury Department pays $100 billion worth of benefits to unidentified individuals every year.

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"Yesterday I was told that currently over $100 billion in benefits are being paid to people without a personal Social Security number or even a temporary ID. If this is true, it is extremely suspicious," Musk wrote on X.

"When I asked if anyone at the Treasury Department knew even roughly what percentage of these payments were outright and obvious fraud, the unanimous answer was that we are talking about half, that is, $50 billion per year or $1 billion per week. This is insane to the extreme and needs to be addressed immediately," he added.

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Measures taken to enhance transparency

The Tesla CEO noted that after the discussions between DOGE representatives and the Treasury Department, measures have been taken to enhance transparency and accountability in government payments. 

Additionally, each money transfer must be accompanied by an explanation of the need for this payment. There will also be a regularly updated list of individuals who may have died at the time of the transfer or who have ties to terrorist groups. 

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Notably, these reforms are being implemented by Treasury Department staff, independent of Elon Musk's oversight.

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Musk aims to reduce US govt spending by $2 trillion

Immediately after the inauguration of US President Donald Trump, DOGE began a large-scale audit of US budget spending. On January 24, the new agency reported that in the first 80 hours of work, it had cancelled government contracts deemed unnecessary, totalling about $420 million.

Elon Musk aims to slash US government spending by a staggering $2 trillion. To achieve this goal, Musk initiated the temporary closure of the United States Agency for International Development for reorganization purposes.

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Musk's team has also gained access to the federal payment system, courtesy of US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, to oversee and curb government expenditures. This move has sparked concerns among some officials, who worry about potential conflicts of interest and the impact on sensitive taxpayer information.

(With inputs from agencies)