Image via Getty/Nick Harvey
When we hear the term Illuminati, names like Beyoncé, Jay Z, Kim Kardashian, and Kanye West come to mind. Many conspiracy theorists believe they’re part of a group that controls the world’s power from behind the scenes, quietly creeping unseen in the shadows. The modern-day Illuminati is said to be populated with today’s hottest celebrities and entertainers. Basically, anybody with a tremendous amount of power, influence, and money has been accused of being a member of the Illuminati at one point or another. But before there were the rappers and reality TV stars of the present-day Illuminati, there were the bankers and philosophers of yore.
When the Order of the Illuminati, the organization’s original secret society, was shut down in the late 1700s, conspiracy theories formed almost immediately about its continued efforts. Many believed the members of the Order carried on with their plans underground. Some even claim they wanted to get disbanded, and used the public abolishment to their advantage to deflect curious eyes from their efforts.
Who are these mysterious members? Nobody knows for sure, because there’s no real proof of the Illuminati organization beyond the original Order. But conspiracy theorists believe that powerful, prominent men and women have supported its existence since the late 18th century, through the 19th and 20th centuries, and up to the present day. If there is such an organization as the Illuminati, its members likely include more than just celebrities. After all, its roots are in the financial and political worlds.
Before there were thorough YouTube videos, lengthy Reddit threads, and hilarious memes dedicated to discovering proof and exposing the Illuminati to the masses, there were simply members. Or as they would probably call themselves, The Enlightened. Meet some of the people rumored to be part of the Illuminati throughout history. They don’t have clothing lines, Grammy awards, or their own emoji apps, but they allegedly set the plans in motion for the modern-day Illuminati members who do.
Adam Weishaupt
Chances are your World History teacher skipped the chapter on Adam Weishaupt. But in the school of the Illuminati, all roads lead back to the German philosopher. In 1776, Weishaupt founded the Order of the Illuminati, a real secret society that wanted to distance their thinking from the government and the church. When it was abolished about a decade later, he lived the rest of his life in exile, but it’s rumored that his legacy lives on through the powerful celebrities, businessmen, and government officials of the modern-day Illuminati.
Baron Adolph von Knigge
If Weishaupt was the leader, Knigge was his right-hand man. He was crucial in expanding the Order of the Illuminati from a five-man secret society to an organization with thousands of underground members. Knigge also helped implement a hierarchy with degrees, classes, and secret symbolic names; his was Philo. In the end, Knigge walked away due to internal conflicts with Weishaupt. Sounds like a Jobs/Wozniak situation to us.
Albert Pike
When talking about Illuminati conspiracy theories, the term “New World Order” comes up a lot. It refers to a one-world government that would control the entire planet. After the Order of the Illuminati was abolished, Albert Pike was just getting started. He’s one of the people responsible for the concept of the New World Order. Thanks to a vision that was revealed to him, he outlined the original blueprints for the Third and Final World War back in the 1800s—the blueprints that, according to Illuminati truthers, the secret society’s leaders are still following today.
Edward Mandell House
Fast forwarding to the 20th century, we meet a man named Colonel Edward Mandell House. He allegedly held a great deal of power during Woodrow Wilson’s administration, serving as the President’s chief advisor. House famously founded the Council on Foreign Relations in 1921, a nonprofit think tank that some conspiracy theorists think to be the strongest American branch of the Illuminati. It’s believed that the CFR, which is still in place today, was created specifically to destroy the U.S.A.’s freedom and independence from the inside out.
David Rockefeller
Some conspiracy theorists believe there are just 13 families that own 99% of the world’s wealth—the true 99 percent-ers, if you will. One of the most well-known is the Rockefeller family, and nobody represented them more than David Rockefeller. The grandson of John D. Rockefeller, David was known for his foreign political connections and for striking secret deals behind closed doors. He was also known for his fortune, which was an estimated $3.3 billion when he died in March 2017. David Rockefeller checked two of the most important boxes for Illuminati membership: lots of money and lots of power.
Henry Kissinger
Speaking of David Rockefeller, another figure long-associated with him and the Illuminati is Henry Kissinger. The former U.S. Secretary of State has a history of top-secret business deals with Rockefeller, many of which were disclosed in 2016 by WikiLeaks. Kissinger may not descend from one of the 13 families, but he’s still thought by some to be part of the Illuminati’s inner circle.
Queen Elizabeth II
Her Royal Highness is believed by some to be a member of the Illuminati, but her rumored involvement is kind of next-level. Ready? Here goes: Theorists believe that Queen Elizabeth II runs a cloning center where she replicates celebrities to help fulfill the Illuminati’s vision of a New World Order. Why? Because clones are obedient, amenable beings. Oh, she’s also believed by some to be an extraterrestrial reptilian humanoid. If we’re lucky, she’s both.
Jacob Rothschild
Once upon a time in the late 1700s, a banker named Mayer Amschel Rothschild provided Weishaupt with funding for the Order of the Illuminati. Today, the entire Rothschild family—one of the 13 families—is believed to still be involved with the Illuminati. Most notable is Jacob Rothschild, a British investment banker worth billions. Talk about inheriting the family business.