Elon Musk recently claimed the US government uses computers to generate payments seemingly out of thin air, with a significant portion of these transactions going unreported. He made these comments during an interview on Senator Ted Cruz’s podcast.
Trillions in Untracked Payments?
Musk alleges that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has identified approximately 14 of these “magic money computers,” responsible for distributing trillions of dollars. He defines these computers as systems capable of creating and issuing payments without a clear, traceable source of funds. He estimates that 5-10% of the payments made by these computers are completely undocumented.
A System Lacking Transparency
Musk argues that the government’s complex payment systems make it incredibly difficult to track spending, identify waste, and combat fraud. He explains that verifying information requires navigating multiple layers of human and contractor involvement, making a comprehensive audit nearly impossible. He suggests that direct access to the computer databases is the only way to accurately reconcile payments and address these issues. He even alluded to the need for a systemic overhaul, hinting at the need to “reprogram The Matrix” to gain true transparency.
Affected Departments
According to Musk, these “magic money computers” have been discovered within several key government departments, including the Treasury, State, Health and Human Services, and Defense Departments.
