Elon Musk’s Recent False Claims Draw Scrutiny Amid High-Profile Feuds

San Francisco, CA — June 5, 2025

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and owner of X, has faced growing criticism for a series of misleading or outright false claims made in recent months, particularly during his tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and his public disputes, including with President Donald Trump. These claims, often amplified on X to millions of followers, have been debunked by fact-checkers, government reports, and media investigations, raising questions about Musk’s credibility on issues ranging from government spending to cybersecurity. Below is a look at some of the most prominent false claims Musk has made in 2025, based on available evidence.

1. Social Security Fraud Involving 150-Year-Olds

In February 2025, Musk claimed DOGE uncovered massive fraud in Social Security, alleging that millions of people over 100 years old, including some as old as 150, were receiving benefits. He posted on X, “There are FAR more ‘eligible’ social security numbers than there are citizens in the USA. This might be the biggest fraud in history.” A NewsGuard study noted this claim garnered over 825 million views. However, the Social Security Administration and inspectors general clarified that the database includes outdated records, not active benefit recipients. Most of these entries are inactive, and updating old records was deemed costly and unnecessary, debunking Musk’s fraud narrative.

2. $50 Million in Condoms for Gaza

During a February 2025 Oval Office event, Musk repeated a White House claim that DOGE stopped $50 million in U.S. funding for condoms sent to the Gaza Strip, implying wasteful spending. When challenged, Musk admitted “some of the things I say will be incorrect” after it was revealed the funds were for Gaza Province in Mozambique, part of an HIV prevention program. The International Medical Corps confirmed no U.S. funds since October 2023 were used for contraceptives in the Gaza Strip. This claim, widely spread by Musk and Trump, was debunked by BBC Verify and others.

3. Unemployment Benefits for Fake People

In April 2025, Musk announced DOGE discovered tens of thousands of fraudulent unemployment claims, including payments to people over 115, under 5, or with future birth dates, like one in 2154 claiming $41,000. He called it “so crazy” on X. However, The New York Times reported these were likely test data or already-identified fraud, not new discoveries by DOGE. The claims exaggerated the scope and novelty of the findings, as federal agencies had previously flagged such issues.

4. USAID Paying Celebrities to Visit Ukraine

Musk amplified a fabricated video on X claiming USAID paid celebrities like Ben Stiller, Angelina Jolie, Sean Penn, and Orlando Bloom to visit Ukraine and pose with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The video, falsely presented as an E! News report, was debunked by Forbes. Stiller and Penn’s representatives confirmed they self-funded their trips, and E! News denied producing the video. Musk’s repost of this baseless claim spread widely before being corrected.

5. Samantha Power’s Net Worth Surge

In February 2025, Musk implied former USAID administrator Samantha Power amassed $30 million on a $180,000 salary, asking on X, “how did she accumulate wealth that is 100 times her after tax salary?” This echoed unverified social media claims about Power’s net worth rising from $6.7 million to $30 million. No evidence supports this, and BBC Verify noted Musk provided no substantiation for the claim, which appeared to fuel speculation about corruption without proof.

6. Fake Protests Funded by NGOs

Musk reposted a claim by Joe Rogan in February 2025, viewed over 11 million times, alleging that protests against Musk and DOGE were “paid for by the same corrupt NGOs” DOGE was defunding. Rogan also falsely claimed USAID funded a lab that “invented” COVID-19. No evidence supports either claim, and Forbes debunked the protest funding narrative, noting protests in states like California and Michigan were grassroots or organized by local groups, not NGOs.

These false claims, often tied to Musk’s DOGE role, have been criticized for lacking evidence and exaggerating government fraud. A NewsGuard study found 28 of Musk’s false claims in early 2025 amassed 825 million views, amplifying misinformation. The New York Times and PBS reported that DOGE’s “wall of receipts” for alleged savings, like $8 billion from a Department of Homeland Security contract, were misleading or incorrect, with many contracts already terminated or mischaracterized. Musk’s admission of potential errors hasn’t curbed the spread of these claims, which critics argue fuel distrust in government institutions.

Regarding the Tesla customer doxxing incident via the “Dogequest” website, Musk has not claimed to have identified the perpetrators, despite his technical expertise. This contrasts with his bold fraud allegations elsewhere, suggesting a selective focus on high-profile narratives over complex cybersecurity challenges. The lack of progress on Dogequest, as noted in prior reporting, may reflect the difficulty of tracing anonymous hackers rather than a failure of Musk’s capabilities, but it underscores a pattern of unfulfilled promises.

Musk’s false claims have drawn legal and financial repercussions. His history of misleading statements, like the 2018 Tesla privatization tweet leading to SEC fraud charges, shows a recurring pattern. In 2025, Tesla’s stock has suffered, dropping 53% from its December 2024 peak, partly due to Musk’s controversial claims and public feuds, including his Epstein files accusation against Trump. As Musk navigates these challenges, his credibility remains under scrutiny, with fact-checkers urging greater accountability for his influential platform.

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