The U.S. national debt has officially exceeded $40 trillion, more than double its level at the start of 2017. This comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk earlier this year warned that America would "1,000%" go bankrupt without AI and robotics. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects federal net interest costs will reach $1.0 trillion in 2026 and climb to $2.1 trillion by 2036. Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, also warned the U.S. is heading toward a "debt death spiral," where the government must borrow to pay interest, but he foresees currency depreciation rather than a formal default.