The  Fraud Elon Musk and DOGE Discovered

Sunday mornings are for coffee and contemplation, and lately, my thoughts keep returning to a topic I’ve harped on for months: the Elon Musk “fraud” claims against the federal government.

Listen to this podcast.

For me, the whole idea was a joke from the start, as was the premise that Musk, despite his wealth, is some kind of business God. So I’m not surprised the only DOGE fraud we found is that DOGE is the fraud.

Let me be clear: Elon Musk is a coder, not a businessman in the traditional sense. While his success is undeniable – he is, after all, the richest man in the world, yet President Trump and his followers paint a picture of him personally negotiating deals and handling every operational detail. That’s simply not how it works at his level. When it comes to businessmen, I think of Mark Cuban, Jeff Bezos, including President Trump in the world of real estate.

Tesla is the perfect example. Musk didn’t create Tesla; he bought into it and became a board member. Yet, people continue to say he created Tesla.

Musk and those in similar positions hire teams of lawyers, accountants, and experts in the field to delegate and oversee, and work on these deals. They have investors investing their money and giving financial advice.

To believe Elon Musk is personally orchestrating every aspect of these massive endeavors is to give him credit where it isn’t due, and it led many to believe he could magically fix the federal government’s supposed “fat.”

The Reality of Government “Fraud” and the DOGE Check Fantasy

My persistent argument has been that you can’t send 19 to 24-year-old coders to do the job of seasoned experts like forensic accountants or corporate restructuring law firms if you genuinely want to “trim the fat” from the federal government. Musk and DOGE just proved that. So, how much fraud did Elon Musk actually uncover?

The answer, after months of hype and disruption, is frankly, embarrassing: a grand total of two cases. Yes, two. Out of 110,000 files examined from the Social Security Administration. Not very efficient.

The result? Not good. The consequences are significant:

“Fired people left and right created chaos in the federal government. Morale couldn’t be lower. Firing all these employees is what percentage of the federal budget? I mean it’s this much and so, but that’s what they did.”

Think about that. Lives disrupted, careers ended, morale shattered, all for a tiny fraction of what was promised. And yet, many of the same people cheering this “fraud-busting” initiative are still convinced they’re getting a $5,000 DOGE check.

• Avoid a Social Security Clawback from DOGE

• Consider Freezing Your Credit Now Thanks to DOGE

Of course, the irony and hypocrisy are that these are often the same individuals who oppose student loan forgiveness and free healthcare because it’s “socialism,” but suddenly a free $5,000 check for doing nothing is “capitalism”? It makes no sense, especially when you consider that medical debt is the number one reason people file for bankruptcy.

So, while perception is reality and people believed that Musk would find massive fraud and redirect those funds to citizens, the reality is, they lied to you, and you continue to believe it.

It’s akin to the constant cry of “Build the wall!” Yet, where is the wall that Mexico was supposed to pay for? The check for that is probably lost in the mail with your DOGE check.

Whistleblowers and Lack of Critical Thinking

If there truly were massive amounts of fraud in a federal agency like the Social Security Administration, don’t you think a whistleblower would have come forward?

Whistleblower statutes, both federal and state, are designed to incentivize reporting fraud. Individuals who uncover significant wrongdoing often receive a percentage of the funds recovered. Imagine finding $50 million in fraud and getting 1-5% of that! That’s a life-changing sum.

“So with all these thousands of people who work for the Social Security Administration, you don’t think one would raise their hand and say, wait a minute. This is like winning the lottery. I just found fraud. Let me go blow the whistle. Let me go talk to my local senator or member of the House, or a whistleblower law firm, to get the ball rolling on this so that I can make millions of dollars. And yet that didn’t happen. Why? Because there is no massive amount of fraud.”

It’s a simple, logical thought. The absence of whistleblowers coming forward with claims of widespread, systemic fraud is a strong indicator that such fraud simply doesn’t exist, and it’s more hype by someone known exactly for doing that. Yet, the narrative persists.

We have to apply a basic level of critical thinking. When something is presented to you, especially something that sounds too good to be true, take five seconds. Ask yourself: Is this possible? How is it possible? This simple exercise can save you from falling for widespread misinformation. Your head wasn’t just “created to hold your hair,” as my sarcastic mother would say. Use it.

To access my YouTube channel, click this link. You can also listen to my podcast on Spotify.

You can find additional categories by clicking below or by using the search feature at the top of this page:

• Bankruptcy
• Your Wallet

Please note that the information on this site does not constitute legal advice and should be considered for informational purposes only. Please note that this transcript was edited for clarity. The transcription may contain inaccuracies or errors due to the limitations of transcription software and the quality of the audio. I have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the transcription, but I cannot guarantee it.