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Elon Musk's DOGE to go after ‘strangely wealthy’ Democrats; a look at his potential targets' net worth

Elon Musk announced that DOGE will probe into the personal wealth of Democratic members of Congress.

Updated on: Mar 31, 2025, 23:14:58 IST
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Elon Musk announced that DOGE will probe into the personal wealth of Democratic members of Congress as he wondered how some make millions of dollars on “$200,000 a year”.

Elon Musk stated that he was attempting to “figure it out" how some Congress lawmakers became so rich. (REUTERS)
Elon Musk stated that he was attempting to “figure it out" how some Congress lawmakers became so rich. (REUTERS)

During Musk's appearance at Wisconsin town hall on Sunday night, one attendee asked if the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had found any “evidence” that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) funds any money to “radical left Democrats”, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA).

Responding to the query, Musk stated that he was attempting to “figure it out”.

“They’ll [the government] send the money overseas to one NGO [non-governmental organization], then they’ll go through a bunch of them, and then I’m highly confident that a bunch of that money then comes back to the United States and lands in the pockets of the people you just mentioned,” the billionaire said.

He further pointed out that is a “circuitous route” as funds do not get transferred directly. “But let’s just say that there’s a lot of strangely wealthy members of Congress where I’m trying to connect the dots of, ‘How do they become rich?'”

Also Read: Elon Musk's Social Security numbers ‘mind-blowing’ chart raises eyebrows; ‘We found 20 million dead people…’

What to know about Congress lawmakers' wealth

The yearly salary of Congress' rank-and-file members stands at $174,000. Musk, whose net wealth is estimated by Bloomberg to be $330 billion, assisted in thwarting legislating to boost congressional pay last year. He, however, later backed an increase as a way to combat corruption.

Many members of Congress, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), have served for decades are millionaires.

While Pelosi's net worth is estimated to be $250 million, Scott's wealth hovers around $552 million, according to NY POST.

“How do they get $20 million if they’re earning $200,000 a year?” Musk asked.

The majority of Pelosi's fortunes derived from her and her husband Paul's profitable investments in businesses such as Netflix, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.

Scott's personal wealth is mostly derived from his co-founding of Solantic, a network of urgent care centers, and HCA Healthcare, a business that operates hospitals and other medical services throughout Florida.

  • Shweta Kukreti
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Shweta Kukreti

    Shweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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