Senator Rand Paul is calling on Elon Musk to visit Kentucky and inspect the massive U.S. gold reserves stored at Fort Knox.
The move comes after a viral post on X urged Musk—now the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—to verify that America’s 4,580 tons of gold are still in the vault.
Musk Questions Lack of Regular Inspections
The discussion began when a libertarian X account with two million followers suggested Musk should ensure the U.S. gold supply remains intact.
“It would be great if Elon Musk could take a look inside Fort Knox just to make sure the 4,580 tons of U.S. gold is there,” the Zero Hedge account posted, pointing out that the last widely publicized inspection occurred in 1974.
Musk responded with a skeptical, “Surely it’s reviewed at least every year?”
Republican Sen. Rand Paul quickly chimed in with a blunt “nope”—then invited Musk to take matters into his own hands, encouraging him to send his DOGE staff to conduct an audit of the Fort Knox reserves.
Inside America’s Most Secure Gold Vault
The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, built in 1936, holds approximately 147 million troy ounces of gold—more than half of the U.S. federal government’s total reserves. The vault is protected by the U.S. Mint Police, and its contents are meant to act as a financial safeguard against economic instability.
Despite this, official inspections have been rare. While the viral X post claimed the last audit was in 1974, a small group—including then-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell—visited in 2017. Grainy black-and-white images from that tour were later released, showing Mnuchin standing in front of stacks of gold bars.
Before that, the last Treasury Secretary to visit Fort Knox was in 1948, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt was the first to inspect the vault in 1943 during World War II.
Musk’s Mission to Cut Government Waste
Musk’s growing influence in Washington—thanks to his close relationship with President Donald Trump—has already led to sweeping federal spending cuts. Under Musk’s leadership, the DOGE agency has:
- Shut down USAID, eliminating or putting more than 10,000 employees in limbo.
- Slashed billions from federal agencies, including the Department of Education.
- Fired top financial officials at FEMA.
- Eliminated DEI programs across government agencies and canceled contracts linked to diversity initiatives.
Speculation is mounting that the DOGE agency could target more departments for drastic cuts following the dismantling of USAID earlier this month.
Will Musk Accept the Challenge?
The question now remains—will Musk take up Paul’s challenge and conduct a high-profile audit of Fort Knox? Given his history of pushing for government transparency and efficiency, it wouldn’t be surprising if he makes this his next big mission.
