Epstein files email revives Fort Knox ‘missing gold’ claim

The publication of documents pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein has rekindled the belief that the US gold reserves at Fort Knox, are 'missing or unaccounted' for.

Written by Sunil Dhawan

February 13, 2026 15:11 IST

Fort Knox gold, Fort Knox gold missing, US gold reserves at Fort Knox, Epstein files gold, Epstein files

Last year, members of Congress introduced a bill to initiate the first comprehensive audit of America’s gold reserves. (Bloomberg)

The release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein has reignited the controversial theory that the United States’ gold reserves, mainly held at Fort Knox, are ‘missing or unaccounted’ for.

One of the documents released by the US Department of Justice is a 2011 email found in the Epstein files, which refers to a sensational article alleging that Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the former IMF Managing Director, uncovered evidence that U.S. gold was ‘missing,’ suggesting that his arrest was connected to this finding.

The email was sent to Epstein by someone whose name has been redacted in the US Department of Justice release. The document is likely a forwarded article or copied text, lacking evidence that Epstein authored the email contents. There are no official investigations or court records into the contents of the email.

The sender of the email starts by writing – A startling story published by the European Union Times, could be one of the world’s biggest conspiracy theories, a plot for a movie, or a frightening scenario for the U.S. and world economy.

“According to the on-line publication a new report prepared for Russian Prime Minister Putin by the FederalSecurity Service(FSB) says that former International Monetary Fund (IMF) Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahnwas charged and jailed in the US for sex crimes on May 14 after his discovery that all of the gold held in the United States Bullion Depository located at Fort Knox was missing and/or unaccounted for.”, reads the email.

The US is the largest holder, with 8,133 tonnes of gold reserves valued at $682,276 million, as of December 2024. The US Treasury Department provides precise U.S. gold reserves information on its website, stating Fort Knox holds 147,341,858.382 troy ounces equal to approximately 4,000 tonnes.

Back in June 2025, members of Congress had introduced a bill to initiate the first comprehensive audit of America’s gold reserves in decades. Representative Thomas Massie introduced the Gold Reserve Transparency Act of 2025, which requires the Comptroller General to undertake and publicly release a thorough audit of the United States’ gold holdings. The audit will examine gold held in “deep storage” facilities like Fort Knox, Kentucky.

In February 2025, President Donald Trump said that his administration would examine the United States’ gold holdings at Fort Knox in Kentucky. The push to examine Fort Knox gold holdings was fueled at that time by Elon Musk’s remarks on X. Back then, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that the Treasury conducts an annual audit, ensuring all gold is present and accounted for.

This article was first uploaded on February thirteen, twenty twenty-six, at eleven minutes past three in the afternoon.