Elon Musk stated on X that he looked at data from the Social Security database, which shows some people who appear very old and are still marked as “alive” (meaning their deaths haven’t been recorded). He jokingly suggests that maybe these people are so old they seem like vampires, as in the movie “Twilight,” and are still collecting government benefits.
According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!
Maybe Twilight is real and there are a lot of vampires collecting Social Security 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/ltb06VX98Z
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 17, 2025
Following this, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) reposted it.
DOGE is pointing out that during the pandemic, the SBA, a U.S. government agency, distributed millions of dollars in loans to people who were extremely old—over 115 years of age. These individuals were listed as “alive” in the Social Security database, but it’s highly unlikely they were actively running businesses or applying for loans at that age.
Notably, the case of a 157-year-old person receiving $36,000 seems almost unbelievable. This raises questions about whether there were errors in the database, such as unupdated records of deceased individuals, or if fraud took place. DOGE aims to highlight flaws in the government system that could allow funds to be misdirected, calling into question oversight and data management practices.
In 2020-2021, @SBAgov issued 3,095 loans, including PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and EIDL (Economic Injury Disaster Loan), for $333M to borrowers over 115 years old who were still marked as alive in the Social Security database.
In one case, a 157 years old individual… https://t.co/5NnCgin5Li
— Department of Government Efficiency (@DOGE) March 4, 2025
Elon Musk shared DOGE’s post again and said that ”the oldest living person in America is Naomi Whitehead, who is 114 years old”. What he meant was that if the oldest person alive is 114, it’s strange and suspicious that people over 115 are getting loans or benefits. It’s his way of pointing out that something might be wrong with the Social Security system.
The oldest living American is Naomi Whitehead, who is 114 years old https://t.co/XHplAAv8zf
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 4, 2025
What did the Democratic Party say on this?
Following DOGE’s X post (March 4, 2025) and Musk’s earlier post (February 17, 2025), there has been no direct response from Democratic leaders or spokespersons regarding these specific allegations. However, Democrats generally tend to justify government spending, particularly on relief programs like PPP and EIDL launched during the pandemic, arguing that they were necessary to support the economy. Still, no specific statements have emerged from them addressing the alleged flaws in the Social Security database or potential fraud.
The Democratic Party’s silence or lack of response to Musk and DOGE’s claims might suggest they are currently avoiding the issue or strategizing how to address it.
Naomi Whitehead
Naomi Whitehead, born on September 26, 1910, in Georgia, became the oldest living American after Elizabeth Francis’s death in October 2024. Her age has been verified by the Longevity Research Organization. By citing her, Musk highlights the improbability of thousands of people older than Whitehead actively securing loans, casting doubt on the legitimacy of these transactions.
Elon Musk and the DOGE team are exposing the wasteful spending done by America, and this could be beneficial for the country, helping people understand where taxpayers’ money has actually gone.