Fact Check: Did Pete Hegseth find a $50 million Cayman Islands account linked to Zelenskyy?

WASHINGTON, DC: A claim that US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had discovered a $50 million Cayman Islands account linked to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had spread online.

The post alleged that the account contained money taken from US aid to Ukraine and that Hegseth had ordered a full forensic audit of the aid.

The claim gained attention amid ongoing scrutiny over how US aid to Ukraine was spent and monitored. Let's fact-check the claim.

Claim: Pete Hegseth discovered a $50M Cayman Islands account linked to Zelenskyy

The post claimed that Pete Hegseth had called for a full forensic audit of US aid to Ukraine after allegedly uncovering a Cayman Islands bank account worth more than $50 million in Zelenskyy’s name. It alleged that the account contained money taken from US aid.

The post further claimed that Hegseth believed Zelenskyy had been diverting money and labeling it as diplomatic funds.

It quoted Hegseth as saying, “It looks like our pal Volodymyr has been skimming large amounts off the top and earmarking it as ‘diplomatic funds.’ We’re pretty sure he made that up. We don’t pay diplomats at the Pentagon.”

The claim also alleged that Hegseth had demanded that Congress stop all aid to Ukraine until the matter was investigated. It quoted him as saying, “Get Nick Shirley or DOGE on this. They’ll straighten it out.”

The post then highlighted the alleged account as evidence of possible misuse of US taxpayer money, stating, “Billions in American taxpayer money… and a $50 million Cayman account sitting in Zelenskyy’s name.”

Fact Check: The claim is false

The claim is false. There is no credible evidence that Pete Hegseth discovered a $50 million Cayman Islands bank account owned by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

There is also no evidence that Hegseth called for a forensic audit of US aid to Ukraine because of such an account.

The post included quotes allegedly made by Hegseth, called for a halt to US aid to Ukraine, and mentioned DOGE. However, it provided no documents, official statements, or other evidence to support the claims.

Searches of news reports, official statements and Pentagon records found no confirmation of the alleged Cayman Islands account. There was also no credible reporting that Hegseth had made such a discovery.

Hegseth has discussed US aid to Ukraine, accountability and defense spending. He has also called for greater burden-sharing among US allies. However, none of his public statements mentioned a personal $50 million Cayman Islands account belonging to Zelenskyy.

Claims about large offshore accounts, properties, or alleged misuse of aid by Zelenskyy and people close to him have circulated before. However, these claims have not been supported by reliable evidence.