Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is eager to uncover how lawmakers on Capitol Hill have amassed “strangely wealthy” fortunes despite their relatively modest public salaries.
During a town hall in Wisconsin on Sunday night, Musk hinted that his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team will investigate how certain members of Congress have accumulated generational wealth.
At the event, an attendee asked Musk whether DOGE had found any evidence of funds being wired from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
“They [the government] send the money overseas to an NGO, which then filters it through several others,” Musk explained. “I’m highly confident that a portion of that money eventually makes its way back to the United States and into the pockets of the individuals you just mentioned.”
He added, “It’s a circuitous route—it doesn’t happen directly. But let’s just say there are a lot of strangely wealthy members of Congress, and I’m trying to connect the dots on how they became rich.”
Rank-and-file members of Congress earn an annual salary of $174,000. Last year, Elon Musk—whose net worth is estimated at $330 billion by Bloomberg—initially helped block a proposal to raise congressional pay but later supported the idea as a way to combat corruption.
Many lawmakers who have spent decades in Congress are millionaires.
Among the wealthiest are former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), with an estimated net worth of $250 million, and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), whose personal fortune is around $552 million.
Pelosi’s wealth primarily stems from the lucrative investments made by her and her husband, venture capitalist Paul Pelosi, in major companies like Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and Netflix.
During his town hall in Wisconsin on Sunday, Elon Musk surprised two voters with $1 million checks each.
Scott’s wealth primarily comes from co-founding HCA Healthcare, a company that operates hospitals and medical facilities across Florida, as well as Solantic, an urgent care clinic chain. His involvement in both businesses predates his tenure in the Senate.
“How do they accumulate $20 million while earning $200,000 a year?” Musk mused. “We’re going to try to figure it out—and certainly put a stop to it.”
Musk visited Wisconsin on Sunday to rally support for Brad Schimel, a conservative Waukesha County judge, in the high-stakes state Supreme Court election.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been actively investigating government spending.
During his visit, Musk distributed $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters. The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has urged residents to sign his petition against “activist judges” to qualify for the prize money.
“The purpose of the checks is really just to grab attention,” Musk explained.
“And, somewhat inevitably, when I do things like this, it makes the legacy media lose their minds.”
The Wisconsin Supreme Court race features a showdown between Schimel and Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, with the winner wielding significant influence over key issues like state abortion laws and redistricting.
Control of the court is highly sought after, as it plays a crucial role in the ongoing power struggle between Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and the Republican-led state legislature.
