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 truthful way if the two powerful men of the United States - 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 boss and current "right-hand man" of Mr. Trump - Elon Musk said: "It would be cool to livestream walking around in 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 has only been opened to the public three times and only a few photos have been released.

Previously, Mr. Donald Trump also had opinions 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.

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Fort Knox tops the list of mysterious, inviolable treasures in the world. Photo: Forbes.

According to Elon Musk, no one has confirmed for sure that the gold was not stolen from Fort Knox, “maybe it is there, or maybe it is not”. Mr. Trump has announced that he will check the gold vault to make sure that “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 said that the gold may have been moved or not in the quantity 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 transparency and the interests of the US.

If the Fort Knox gold vault is not publicized 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 where America's economic power is kept

Fort Knox, officially known as the United States Bullion Depository, was built in 1936, in the midst of the Great Depression. At that time, President Franklin D. Roosevelt banned the American people from owning gold, 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 absolutely secure location called Fort Knox.

This project was completed in 1937, located in Kentucky, near the famous Fort Knox military base. It became 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.

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Fort Knox currently holds about 147 million ounces of gold, equivalent to more than 4,570 tons of gold - accounting for more than half of the US Government's gold reserves. Photo: US Treasury Department

This gold vault is protected by one of the most elite military forces in the United States, along with a state-of-the-art security system that includes 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 which more than half is held by the US government.

Although this figure has decreased from its peak during World War II, it is still the world's largest gold reserve. Currently, the US holds 8,134 tons of gold, 2.4 times more than the second largest reserve country, Germany, and accounts for about 27% of the total gold reserves worldwide.

The total value of the Fort Knox gold vault is currently about $430 billion, but the book value is 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 US, this gold reserve is an important part of ensuring confidence in the financial strength of the USD. 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.

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Satellite image of the Fort Knox gold vault, 2010. Photo: GG

Internationally, Fort Knox serves as a "bulwark" for the global financial system. The gold reserves there help to strengthen confidence in the international monetary system and are 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 highs. The reason may be partly due to the news that Mr. Trump and Elon Musk are skeptical about 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 been falling 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 now.

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 congressmen visited, and most recently in 2017, a delegation of Senator Mitch McConnell and Secretary of the Treasury (then Steven Mnuchin) visited. Some senators requested to enter the wine cellar but were refused.

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