“Elon Musk, a trillionaire, pays the same amount into Social Security as someone making $184,500.”

The Social Security program is funded primarily through a payroll tax (OASDI) levied on wage income. For the 2026 tax year, the Social Security Administration set the maximum earnings subject to this tax at $184,500. Employees and employers each pay 6.2% on wages up to this limit. Once an individual's cumulative wages for the year reach $184,500, no further Social Security taxes are withheld from their paychecks. Therefore, a person earning exactly $184,500 and a person earning $1 billion in wages would both contribute the same maximum amount ($11,439.00) to the Social Security trust fund. The claim is accurate in its description of the tax cap's effect. However, it is important to note that the tax applies specifically to 'wages' (W-2 income). Wealthy individuals like Elon Musk often derive the vast majority of their wealth from capital gains, stock options, or business equity, which are generally not subject to the Social Security payroll tax. Thus, while the comparison to a $184,500 earner is mathematically correct regarding the tax cap, it highlights a structural feature of the tax code rather than a specific tax avoidance strategy unique to Musk.