Fort Knox tops the list of the world's most mysterious and inviolable treasures and has only been opened to the public three times in nearly 90 years. It is the US national gold reserve and a symbol of global financial and economic power.
In recent days, the US Fort Knox gold vault has attracted the attention of the world media about the mysteries of this treasure and the conspiracy theories that have been circulating for decades.
The impregnable fortress - where the majority of the US Treasury's gold is stored - may be revealed in its most complete and honest way if the two most powerful men in America - President Donald Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Elon Musk make their statements.
In a post on his own social network X (formerly Twitter) on February 18, Tesla car company owner and current "right-hand man" of Mr. Trump - Elon Musk said: "It would be cool to livestream walking around the Fort Knox gold vault."
An impregnable fortress and the world's most mysterious treasure trove may soon be livestreamed to a billion viewers, even though in its nearly 90 years of existence, Fort Knox's gold vault has only been opened to the public three times and only a few photos have been released.
Previously, Mr. Donald Trump also had an opinion about making public the Fort Knox gold vault.
Both Mr. Trump and billionaire Elon Musk have questioned the amount of gold stored at Fort Knox.
According to Elon Musk, no one has confirmed for sure that the gold was not stolen from Fort Knox, "it may or may not be there". Mr. Trump has announced that he will inspect the gold vault to make sure "the gold is still there" even though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent affirmed that the gold vault is audited annually. The most recent report in late September 2024 confirmed that all the gold is still intact.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk suggested that the gold may have been moved or that the quantity was not as reported. Previously, there were long-standing conspiracy theories about the US secretly selling gold or transferring it abroad. This is also a move by Mr. Trump to affirm that the new administration is the one to protect the transparency and interests of the US.
If the Fort Knox gold vault is not publicly available in sufficient quantity and quality, the consequences for the gold market and the financial market could be unpredictable. So how large is the Fort Knox gold vault, and what is its role in the US economy and the world financial market?
Fort Knox - The place that holds America's economic power
Fort Knox, officially known as the United States Bullion Depository, was built in 1936, during the Great Depression. At that time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt banned the ownership of gold by Americans in order to strengthen the financial system and stabilize the economy. The gold recovered from banks and individuals was transferred to a top secret and secure location called Fort Knox.
Completed in 1937, located in Kentucky, near the famous Fort Knox military base, the building has become a symbol of financial stability and an "impregnable fortress" in the minds of Americans and the world.
Fort Knox is famous not only for its huge gold reserves but also for its security system which is considered "invincible".
The structure was built with tens of thousands of tons of concrete, thousands of tons of steel, tens of thousands of cubic meters of granite, and about 750 tons of explosion-proof materials. The main door weighs up to 20 tons and no one person can open it alone; opening the warehouse requires the coordination of many people with separate codes.
This gold vault is protected by one of the most elite military forces in the US, along with a state-of-the-art security system including motion sensors, 24/7 surveillance cameras and high-voltage electric fences.
Fort Knox holds about 147 million ounces of gold, or more than 4,570 tons of gold - more than half of the US government's gold reserves.
Although this figure has declined from its peak during World War II, it is still the world's largest gold reserve. The US currently holds 8,134 tonnes of gold, 2.4 times more than the second-largest reserve, Germany, and accounts for about 27% of the world's total gold reserves.
The total value of the Fort Knox gold vault is currently about $430 billion, but the books are worth about $6 billion because it was purchased at about $42 compared to the current $2,930/ounce. Gold prices have increased about 40% over the past year, and 10% since the beginning of 2025.
For the United States, this gold reserve is an important part of ensuring confidence in the financial strength of the US dollar. Although the US is no longer on the gold standard, the gold reserves at Fort Knox remain a symbol of stability and prestige for the world's largest economy.
Internationally, Fort Knox serves as a “bulwark” for the global financial system. The gold stored there helps to build confidence in the international monetary system and is considered “insurance” for the global economy in times of crisis.
It can be seen that Fort Knox is the largest gold storage place in the US and the world. The public disclosure of Fort Knox gold vault can strongly affect the gold market and financial market if the quantity and quality are not sufficient.
Gold prices have surged in recent trading sessions, hitting new record highs. The reason may be partly due to the news that Mr. Trump and Elon Musk are suspicious of the Fort Knox gold vault, in addition to geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and the Middle East as well as potential trade wars.
The US dollar has also fallen quite rapidly recently. The DXY index (which measures the greenback’s performance against a basket of six major currencies) has fallen from 110 points in mid-February to 106.6 points currently.
The Fort Knox vault has been opened to the public three times in history. That was in 1943, when US President Franklin D Roosevelt visited. Then, in 1974, 10 US senators visited, and most recently in 2017, a delegation led by Senator Mitch McConnell and Treasury Secretary (then Steven Mnuchin) visited. Some senators requested to enter the wine cellar but were refused.
Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/ham-vang-elon-musk-muon-livestream-kho-bau-bi-an-bat-kha-xam-pham-cua-my-2373937.html
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