I am not sure that is the case. If you and employer paid max SS (not medicare) tax, your libaility this year is about 13K. I know for the past decade I have maxed out and probably (hopefully) will for the next 17 years until I retire. I think I and my employer have paid close to 200k thus far and you could multiply 17 years x another maybe 15-16 k a year for another 250 k or so. Total contributions then will be around 450-500k. At age 67 I would collect about 30k p/year in todays $, so it would take me about 15-20 years to recoup my $, albeit in money worth far less than I paid, and with no interest accrual benefit.
“If you and employer paid max SS (not medicare) tax, your libaility this year is about 13,000”
Owning my own company, I pay my part and the match, have maxed out each year since leaving the US Army.
By all calculators, I get something like a negative 3% return.