Elon Musk has shown interest in a Pennsylvania limestone mine that stores a vast number of federal retirement documents.
As the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk described the mine in detail last month, referring to it as reminiscent of the past.
He remarked, “There’s a limestone mine where we store all the retirement paperwork…This mine looks like something out of the ’50s, because it was started in 1955, so it looks like it’s, like, a time warp,” during a conversation at the Oval Office in February.
The mine reportedly houses 22,000 cabinets filled with 400 million sheets of paper, and employs 700 workers who manage up to 10,000 retirement applications each month.
Musk shared images of the mine on social media, commenting on the manual nature of processing, “Because all that retirement paperwork is manual on paper, it’s manually calculated.
“They’re written down on a piece of paper, then it goes down a mine and, like, ‘What do you mean a mine?’ Like, yeah, there’s a limestone mine. We store all the retirement paperwork. And you look at a picture, we will post some pictures afterward.
“We were told the most number of people that could retire possibly in a month is 10,000 because all the retirement paperwork is written down on a piece of paper, then it goes down a mine.
“Instead of working in a mine shaft and carrying manila envelopes to boxes in a mine shaft, you could do practically anything else, and you would add to the goods and services of the United States in a more useful way.”
Musk also noted, “The elevator breaks down sometimes, and nobody can retire.
“Doesn’t that sound crazy?”
The mine is operated by Iron Mountain, and Musk’s remarks reportedly affected the company’s stock.
However, Iron Mountain’s CEO Bill Meaney views it positively, stating: “We see this as a continued opportunity for the company.”
The government leases the mine from Iron Mountain, which benefits from round-the-clock security, surveillance, and other protective measures.
Constructed of fire-resistant limestone, the mine’s underground conditions remain stable, eliminating the need for costly cooling systems.
Regarding Social Security, Musk assured that DOGE will not cut benefits.
He told Fox News, “No, in fact, what we’re doing will help with their benefits,” emphasizing the benefits DOGE’s work will bring.
“Legitimate people, as a result of the work of DOGE, will receive more Social Security, not less.
“Want to emphasize that. As a result of the work of DOGE, legitimate recipients of Social Security will receive more money not less money.
“And let the record show that I said this and it will be proven out to be true. Let’s check back on this in the future.”