We did not find evidence that millions of implausibly old people receive Social Security payments. Recent Social Security Administration data shows that about 89,000 people ages 99 and older receive Social Security payments.

Musk and Donald Trump made false claims about fraud at the Social Security Administration, whose leader stepped down under pressure.

As billionaire Trump advisor Elon Musk continues to fire staff, cancel contracts, and eliminate office leases across the federal government, retirees, Social Security advocates, and Democratic politicians are fretting about what could happen to the agency that delivers cash benefits to some 73 million Americans each month—one charged with paying out $1.

Elon Musk indicated that a Social Security database lists millions of centenarians "with the death field set to FALSE."

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Trump said, "We have millions and millions of people over 100 years old" receiving Social Security benefits, calling it an issue of fraud or incompetence. Similarly,

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk incorrectly claims there are 150-year-olds on Social Security. Fox - 5 DC Fox - 5 DC

Leland Dudek, a data analyst in a small anti-fraud office, is suspected of sharing unauthorized access to Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service. Now he’s the acting Social Security commissioner.

Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — an initiative aimed at cutting wasteful spending and unnecessary regulations — recently shared astonishing statistics about the age distribution in the Social Security system.

The Trump administration is falsely claiming that tens of millions of dead people over 100 years old are receiving Social Security payments.

Amid efforts to cut wasteful federal spending, there’s new scrutiny on just how long some Social Security beneficiaries have been receiving payments.