Elon Musk Claims 150-Year-Olds Receiving Social Security

Musk’s Latest Hot Take: Ancient Americans Are Collecting Social Security

Elon Musk made waves this week by claiming 150-year-olds are collecting Social Security. Yes, apparently we have Civil War veterans still cashing checks. Who knew?

During a chat with presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk suggested the Social Security system is sending payments to people who would remember when horses were the primary mode of transportation. To Mars.

The Social Security Administration quickly pointed out that the average beneficiary is actually 87, not 150. But let’s examine what Musk might have stumbled across, why this matters for actual Social Security reform, and what this tells us about how we discuss serious policy issues in the age of viral tweets.

What’s Really Going On Here

Look, fraud exists in every large system. The Social Security Administration processes millions of payments monthly, and yes, sometimes checks go to deceased recipients. It happens. But not to people born during the presidency of Zachary Taylor.

The real issue isn’t imaginary supercentenarians gaming the system. It’s outdated record-keeping and verification processes. When Social Security started in 1935, they used paper files and manual verification. Some of those systems are still catching up to the digital age.

I actually called the SSA about this. After 47 minutes on hold (seriously), a representative explained they have multiple verification systems including death record matching. Could a payment slip through to a deceased person? Sure. To someone who’d be 150? That would require some Olympic-level fraud.

Here’s what really happens: The SSA cross-references with state death records, but sometimes there are delays. A payment might go out for a month or two after someone passes. Family members are supposed to return these payments. Many do. Some don’t. That’s your “fraud” right there – not vampires collecting benefits since the Roosevelt administration.

The Numbers Behind the Noise

Let’s talk actual data. The SSA’s most recent improper payment report showed a rate of about 0.35%. That’s remarkably low for a program sending out $1.4 trillion annually. For context, that’s better than most private insurance companies manage.

Of those improper payments, most involve administrative errors, not fraud. Someone’s address changes, paperwork gets delayed, a decimal point moves. Boring stuff. Not nearly as exciting as imagining Methuselah’s grandmother collecting disability.

When fraud does occur, it’s usually relatives not reporting deaths promptly or people faking disabilities. The average fraudulent overpayment? About $7,000. Not exactly Ocean’s Eleven material. Definitely not enough to keep someone alive for 150 years.

The Actual Problems Social Security Faces

While Musk focuses on phantom elderly, real challenges threaten Social Security:

First, demographics. We have more retirees and fewer workers supporting each beneficiary. In 1960, there were 5.1 workers per beneficiary. Today? 2.8. By 2035, it’ll be 2.3. That’s not fraud – that’s math.

Second, the trust fund depletion. Current projections show it running low by 2033, which would trigger automatic benefit cuts of about 20%. No conspiracy theories needed – just too many promises and not enough revenue.

Third, administrative inefficiency. The SSA operates on a shoestring budget while managing benefits for 70 million people. They need system upgrades, not accusations about paying benefits to people who predate the telephone.

Fourth, there’s the disability program crisis nobody talks about. The disability trust fund nearly went insolvent in 2016. Congress kicked that can down the road, but the fundamental problems remain. Too many applications, not enough staff to process them, and an appeals system that takes years to resolve cases.

Why This Distraction Matters

Here’s what bothers me about the 150-year-old claim. We’re facing real Social Security funding challenges that need serious discussion. Instead, we’re debating whether the government is subsidizing immortals.

This pattern keeps repeating. Someone makes an outrageous claim about Social Security. Media covers it breathlessly. Politicians grandstand. Meanwhile, the actual problems get worse.

Remember the “death panels” hysteria? Or when people claimed Social Security numbers would become the “mark of the beast”? Each distraction delays real reform. And delay costs money – about $300 billion more for every year we wait, according to the trustees.

Every minute spent on these conspiracy theories is time not spent on actual solutions like:

• Raising the payroll tax cap (currently at $160,200)
• Gradually increasing retirement age
• Means-testing benefits for high earners
• Improving immigration to boost the worker-to-beneficiary ratio
• Creating a sovereign wealth fund for surplus contributions
• Adjusting the benefit formula for high earners

These aren’t sexy topics. They don’t go viral on Twitter. But they’re what actually matters for Social Security’s future.

What Musk Could Actually Do to Help

You know what would be genuinely helpful? If someone with Musk’s resources and influence focused on real Social Security issues. Imagine if instead of tweeting about mythical beneficiaries, he used his platform to educate people about the trust fund crisis.

Or better yet, what if tech billionaires paid Social Security taxes on all their income, not just the first $160,200? Just saying. Musk’s annual income could probably fund benefits for a small city.

The SSA could use technological innovation. Their systems need modernization. Their fraud detection could be improved with better data analytics. These are problems a tech visionary could actually help solve.

Picture this: SpaceX-level innovation applied to government benefit systems. Real-time verification, blockchain for secure records, AI for fraud detection. Instead, we get tweets about sesquicentenarians. It’s like having a Formula 1 engine and using it to power a lawnmower.

The Media’s Role in This Mess

Let’s be honest – media outlets (yes, like this one) love these stories. “Billionaire Claims Immortals Steal Your Tax Dollars” gets more clicks than “Actuarial Analysis Suggests Modest Payroll Tax Increase Needed.”

But here’s the thing: every sensational story about Social Security fraud makes real reform harder. It convinces people the system is broken beyond repair. It fuels cynicism about government programs. It makes rational discussion nearly impossible.

We need better. We need media that explains how Social Security actually works, what challenges it faces, and what solutions exist. Not just hot takes from billionaires who’ve never had to worry about retirement security.

The Real Takeaway

Social Security faces legitimate challenges. The program that keeps millions of elderly Americans out of poverty needs reform to remain solvent. But we won’t solve these problems by chasing ghosts of 150-year-old beneficiaries.

Next time someone tells you Social Security is paying centenarians-and-a-half, ask them about the real issues: trust fund solvency, demographic shifts, and sustainable funding solutions. Those conversations might not trend on social media, but they’re the ones that actually matter.

Want to know what’s really scary? Not imaginary 150-year-olds collecting benefits. It’s the fact that without reform, real 70-year-olds might see their benefits cut by 20% in less than a decade. That’s the horror story we should be talking about.

And hey, if you do know any 150-year-olds collecting Social Security, please have them call me. I have some questions about their skincare routine. And their secret to surviving every pandemic since the 1870s. That knowledge might be worth more than their monthly benefit check.