Nock's Fortress Vaults Should Be Opened? Musk Gets Involved in the U.S. Gold Reserve Controversy

The mysterious Fort Knox in Kentucky has long been at the center of public intrigue. Officially, it is claimed that the United States holds approximately 4,580 tons of gold there— but is this really the case?

50 Years Without Formal Audits, Suspicions Persist

This issue has actually troubled Americans for half a century. The last time the government allowed an inspection of Fort Knox was in September 1974. At that time, the U.S. Department of the Treasury only opened one of the 15 vaults. Journalists and lawmakers spent two hours taking photos but did not conduct any substantive verification of the gold—no serial number checks, no purity tests, and no confirmation that these bars actually belonged to the United States.

Since then, the U.S. government has only conducted annual “seal checks”—which are essentially ceremonial and lack any independent audit. Over the past 50 years, the whereabouts of these 4,580 tons of gold have remained a mystery to the outside world.

From Paul Father and Son to Musk, Calls for Audit Rise

This issue has been pushed by various figures. In 2010, Congressman Ron Paul publicly called for an independent audit, stating a resonant phrase: “The American people should know whether the gold actually exists.”

Recently, with the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, this long-suppressed topic has suddenly gained attention. DOGE is conducting a comprehensive investigation into federal government waste and fraud, and some have proposed that they also look into Fort Knox. An X user directly asked Musk: “Is the U.S. gold reserve still there?”

Musk’s concise reply was: “Of course, it’s audited every year.”

Politicians Respond, the Situation Rapidly Changes

This simple answer immediately triggered a chain reaction. Senator Rand Paul (Ron Paul’s son) quickly followed up, directly telling Musk: “Let’s get started,” clearly supporting a full audit of the vault. His father has long believed that the U.S. has no concrete evidence that the gold actually exists.

More interestingly, Senator Cynthia Lummis joined the discussion, but she proposed a radical alternative—rather than fussing over gold, why not turn to Bitcoin?

Can Bitcoin Replace Gold?

Lummis suggested to Musk: “Bitcoin solves this problem. Bitcoin reserves can be audited anytime and anywhere with a basic computer. It’s time to upgrade our reserves.” Musk responded with a thinking emoji, hinting at an openness to the idea.

In fact, Lummis has been pushing the “Bitcoin Act” in the Senate, aiming to establish the United States’ first official Bitcoin reserve. According to the bill, the U.S. plans to purchase 1 million Bitcoins, accounting for 5% of the global Bitcoin supply. Funds will be allocated from the existing Federal Reserve and Treasury budgets, without increasing taxpayers’ burden. The Bitcoin holdings will be managed with both physical and digital security measures.

Why Has Fort Knox’s Status Declined?

Since the U.S. abandoned the gold standard in 1971, the symbolic significance of Fort Knox has greatly diminished. For nearly a century before that, all U.S. dollars were backed by such gold reserves. But after the decoupling, Fort Knox’s assets are just one of many holdings for the Federal Reserve.

Nevertheless, Fort Knox has always maintained a mysterious aura in the public mind—partly due to the classic 1964 film “Goldfinger,” in which a fictional character attempts to break into Fort Knox but is thwarted by James Bond, adding to the legendary mystique of the vault.

Today, with the push from DOGE, Bitcoin, and new-generation politicians, discussions about how Fort Knox should be managed are entering a new phase. Regardless of the final outcome, this wave at least demonstrates one thing: transparency and accountability are increasingly becoming shared demands of the public and policymakers.