Alright, picture this: There are people on Social Security today who are older than the oldest person alive. Sounds crazy, right? Well, that’s exactly what Elon Musk is claiming, and he’s calling it a ‘massive scam!’ But is that actually true? Or is there more to the story than meets the eye? Stick around because today, we’re breaking down what’s really going on inside Social Security, why these claims are blowing up, and what it all means for you as a taxpayer.
So, where did this all start? Well, the claim took off when Elon Musk—yeah, the Tesla guy, the SpaceX guy, the Dogecoin guy—posted on X about a supposed massive scam in the Social Security system. He claimed that the government’s database listed millions of people over the age of 100, including some between 150 and 159 years old.
Now, 150 years? That’s older than anyone on record. The oldest verified person to ever live was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who made it to 122. But Musk? He’s saying there are millions of people way past that, just casually collecting Social Security checks like vampires. And yeah, he even joked about vampires.
But here’s where things get interesting—because if this was true, it would be huge. We’re talking about a Social Security system that already costs trillions to maintain. If millions of nonexistent people are getting benefits, that would mean an absolutely massive fraud operation. But is that really the case? Well, let’s take a closer look.
Alright, let’s talk numbers. Because when you start looking at actual data, the whole ‘millions of 150-year-olds’ thing falls apart fast.
According to the U.S. Census, there are about 80,000 people in America aged 100 or older. Meanwhile, Musk’s claims suggest there are 20 million centenarians in the Social Security system. That’s not just off—it’s wildly off. That’s more than the total population of Florida!
So, what’s really happening here? Well, experts were quick to jump in with a very non-scandalous explanation: It’s not fraud. It’s not a scam. It’s bad coding.
Okay, let’s talk about COBOL. If you don’t know what COBOL is, don’t worry—neither do most programmers under 50. It’s an old-school programming language from the 1960s that’s still used to run the Social Security Administration’s system. And here’s the thing—COBOL doesn’t handle dates well.
So, what happens when the Social Security system encounters missing or incomplete birth dates? It just defaults to a placeholder date. And one of the most common placeholder birthdates? May 20, 1875. That means in 2025, those entries show up as people being 150 years old.
Are those people actually getting money? No. They’re just stuck in an outdated database. The system is not actually paying benefits to a bunch of 150-year-old ghost people.
But wait—you might be thinking, ‘Okay, this database thing is one issue, but what about actual fraud? Isn’t Social Security still losing tons of money to improper payments?’
And yeah, there have been cases of fraud. The government has accidentally sent payments to deceased people. That happens. But let’s put things in perspective.
A government audit from 2015 to 2022 found that Social Security made about $71.8 billion in improper payments. Sounds like a massive number, right? Well, not so fast. The total Social Security budget is in the trillions and the error rate? It’s just 0.84%—which is actually lower than most private insurance companies.
Plus, since 2015, Social Security has automatically stopped payments for anyone listed as over 115 years old. So even if a database mistakenly lists someone as 150, it doesn’t mean they’re collecting checks.
So, if this claim is so easy to debunk, why did it blow up? Well, two reasons:
- People love a good government scandal. There’s already frustration with how taxpayer money is spent, and Social Security is one of the biggest programs in the country. If someone tells you it’s riddled with fraud, it feels believable—even if the numbers don’t add up.
- Politics. Some groups are pushing to cut Social Security, and claims like this—whether accurate or not—can fuel that debate.
The real issue here isn’t fraud. It’s funding.
Social Security does face long-term financial challenges. By 2034, unless changes are made, the program could struggle to pay full benefits. But fixing that isn’t about chasing conspiracy theories—it’s about policy decisions. That’s the real conversation we should be having.
The Bigger Picture: Social Security’s Future
Now that we’ve cleared up the whole ‘millions of 150-year-olds collecting checks’ myth, let’s talk about the real issue: the future of Social Security. Because whether or not you believe in conspiracy theories, the program does have legitimate funding concerns.
Social Security is a pay-as-you-go system. That means the money coming in from today’s workers is being used to pay benefits to today’s retirees. But there’s a problem—the U.S. population is aging. There are fewer workers paying into the system compared to the number of retirees collecting benefits. That imbalance is what’s putting strain on the program.
According to the latest projections from the Social Security Administration, if nothing changes, the trust fund reserves could be depleted by 2034. That doesn’t mean Social Security will disappear, but it does mean benefits could be reduced unless Congress takes action.
So, what are the options? There are a few potential solutions:
- Raising the payroll tax – Right now, workers and employers each pay 6.2% of wages into Social Security. Increasing this tax slightly could help bring in more revenue.
- Raising the retirement age – People are living longer, which means they’re collecting benefits for more years. Gradually raising the retirement age could help balance the system.
- Adjusting benefit formulas – This could mean reducing benefits for higher-income retirees or changing how cost-of-living adjustments are calculated.
- Expanding the taxable income cap – Right now, only income up to a certain limit ($160,200 in 2023) is subject to Social Security taxes. Raising or eliminating that cap could bring in more money.
None of these solutions are easy, and each one has political challenges. But the point is, fixing Social Security requires real policy changes—not chasing fake scandals about mythical 150-year-old retirees.
Why Misinformation Matters
At the end of the day, misinformation about Social Security doesn’t just create confusion—it distracts from real issues. If people believe the system is full of fraud, they might support policies that actually hurt retirees rather than help solve the program’s financial challenges.
That’s why it’s so important to separate fact from fiction. Yes, Social Security has problems—but they’re solvable. And the sooner we focus on real solutions instead of viral myths, the better off future retirees will be.
Final Thoughts
Elon Musk’s claim about 150-year-olds collecting Social Security checks? Completely false. What we’re actually dealing with is an outdated database and a Social Security system that needs long-term financial fixes.
Instead of chasing conspiracy theories, we should be having serious discussions about how to keep Social Security strong for future generations. And that’s a conversation worth having.
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