As the controversy around American rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs gains momentum, a video of his son has added a new dimension – a conspiracy theory connected to the Illuminati prompting many to know more about the secret society and facts associated with it.
In a video from March 2024, Diddy’s son, King Combs, was seen walking around his father’s Los Angeles property in sweatpants printed with the instantly recognisable Illuminati logo. While Diddy is at the centre of media attention for several serious allegations levelled against him, the emergence of his son’s video has given a boost to conspiracy theorists and renewed interest in the Illuminati.
‘Illuminati’ is the plural form of the Latin word illuminatus meaning enlightened. It was also the name of a movement inspired by Freemasons and French Enlightenment philosophers centuries ago. It has now taken a completely different form after the purported demise of the major secret societies that carried the thought. Today, conspiracy theorists refer to the Illuminati as a secret group comprising anyone from politicians and billionaire businessmen to celebrities who control the world. This is also why they, and other similar alleged secret societies, are referred to as the ‘New World Order.’
Interesting facts about the Illuminati explained
Was there a real Illuminati?
Yes, many secret societies were referred to as the Illuminati at different points in history.
Among the earliest was the 15th-century Alumbrados, whose name itself means ‘enlightened’ in Spanish. According to Spanish scholar Marcelino Menéndez y Pelayo, the group had a Gnostic origin. One of the earliest leaders was María de Santo Domingo, who claimed that she could converse directly with Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. María was tried under the auspices of the Inquisition and so were many others associated with Alumbrados. By 1623, the movement entered France under the name Illuminés and quickly spread throughout the country before their eventual suppression or disappearance.
Rosicrucians was another 15th or 16th-century secret society believed to share similar ideological thoughts but was perhaps much more influential than those preceding it. Founded by Christian Rosenkreuz, it managed to keep a lot of its affairs secret for over 100 years, including its very existence. Fama Fraternitatis, a manifesto first published in 1614, gives details of Rosenkreuz and the society. According to Britannica, many prominent members of the then society were believed to be associated with the Rosicrucians order. These included British physician Robert Fludd, British statesman Sir Francis Bacon and German alchemist Michael Maier.
But the group with which the modern-day name Illuminati is most closely associated is an 18th-century anti-religious movement in Bavaria, Germany. Even though it was short-lived, this group, widely known as the Bavarian Illuminati, is the one that is historically seen as the true originator of the term ‘Illuminati.’
Who created the Bavarian Illuminati?
The Bavarian Illuminati was founded in 1776 by a former Jesuit named Adam Weishaupt. His goal was to replace Christianity with his republican free thought and reason. Its members and followers called themselves ‘Perfectibilists.’
One of the most interesting facts about the Bavarian Illuminati is that they were very well-structured and divided into three classes in a hierarchical order. Weishaupt began the spread of the order from Ingolstadt, where he was a professor of canon law. It quickly covered several cities of Bavaria and inducted influential members of the society in its ranks. Within two years, their members began taking up important positions in Masonic lodges. By this time, its structure became even more complex with correspondence conducted in cipher and members addressed in code names.
Historical records suggest that the Bavarian Illuminati stretched from Italy to Denmark and Paris to Warsaw at its peak. Yet it is believed that its members were never more than 2,000.
It is one of the most well-known facts that German Freemason and writer Adolph Freiherr Knigge was associated with the Bavarian Illuminati. Though not confirmed, it is believed that other members included icons of German intelligentsia such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Gottfried von Herder, Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi, Friedrich Leopold and Graf zu Stolberg-Stolberg as well as nobles such as Charles Augustus of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach and Ernest II of Gotha, the latter of whom was Queen Victoria’s brother-in-law and therefore connected to the British royal family as well.
What happened to the Bavarian Illuminati?
In 1785, Karl Theodor, Duke of Bavaria, banned all secret societies including the Illuminati, which had already been somewhat weakened by internal strife.
Weishaupt was removed from his position in Ingolstadt and was subsequently sent into exile. Some other members were imprisoned or forced out of their homes.
But Weishaupt, who moved to Gotha, didn’t entirely cease his work on the Illuminati. Before his death in 1830, he wrote a series of books on illuminism such as An Apology for the Illuminati (1786) and An Improved System of Illuminism (1787).
The term ‘illuminati’, however, remained in use. Martinez Pasqualis founded the French Martinists in 1754, which came to be known as a successor to ‘illuminati’ and spread the order to Russia by the late 18th century.
How did the Illuminati conspiracy theories emerge?
Conspiracy theories about the Illuminati started soon after the end of the Bavarian Illuminati. British physicist John Robison and French journalist Abbe Augustin Barruel were among the prominent people who spread Illuminati conspiracy theories, including an allegation that they were behind the French Revolution (1789–1799). Even the Founding Fathers of America, including George Washington, mentioned the Illuminati.
But the modern Illuminati conspiracy theories trace their roots to the 1960s. According to the BBC, one of the key facts is that this alleged secret society of the present has hardly any connection to the Bavarian Illuminati and was originally meant to be nothing more than a parody.
“An era of counter-culture mania, LSD and interest in Eastern philosophy is largely responsible for the group’s (totally unsubstantiated) modern incarnation,” says BBC.
Its origin can be traced to a text known as Principia Discordia, which created a fake religion and fake deity purely for fun during the time of the counter-culture movement.
How did the new Illuminati conspiracy theories spread?
American author Robert Anton Wilson is credited alongside Kerry Thornley, one of the authors of Principia Discordia, for spreading the conspiracy theory of Illuminati as a means to foster confusion in what they believed was an increasingly authoritarian world.
It was their elaborate strategy of spreading disinformation that gave birth to the modern-day Illuminati, according to the BBC. The concept of the ‘illuminati’ was further popularised when Wilson co-authored The Illuminatus! Trilogy with American journalist Robert Shea. The sci-fi fantasy novels gave birth to a series of conspiracy theories which, among others, included a theory of a ‘cover-up’ of the 1963 assassination of US President John F. Kennedy by the Illuminati.
The success of the books, their adaptations for the stage and various pop culture references contributed to the conspiracy theories gaining ground among the masses by the 1970s. The advent of the Internet age massively boosted the fascination with the Illuminati secret society.
Are there any differences between the modern Illuminati and others?
Though their ways were highly secretive, the Bavarian Illuminati was seen as anti-monarchist and anti-religious. They believed in rational thought and free expression of the masses, which made them more akin to the revolutionaries of that age.
The existence of a modern Illuminati, quite ironically, is nothing but a conspiracy theory in itself, one which is more widely accepted among right-wingers who believe that everything from governments to civil society is controlled by a handful of powerful elites.
The Illuminati is also different from Freemasonry, though the latter have also been subjected to baseless conspiracy theories largely due to their complex structure, enigmatic use of symbols and a series of powerful members in their long history. Many believe that the floating eye on the US dollar comes from the Freemasonry symbol of the Eye of Providence (also known as the All-Seeing Eye). The sign is also used by Illuminati conspiracy theorists today to refer to the secret society. This is why one of the interesting facts about Illuminati is that they are often confused with Freemasons.
Which celebrities are believed to be part of the Illuminati?
Music icons such as Madonna, Jay-Z, Beyoncé and Kanye West have been accused of being part of the Illuminati cult. Some were allegedly seen making hand signs of the All-Seeing Eye or wearing the symbol on different occasions. But these are baseless accusations concocted by their critics and conspiracy theorists.
Is there any truth to the claims of Illuminati conspiracy theorists?
No, everything about the new-age Illuminati and the alleged incidents they are believed to have been involved in are false. These are, as is rightly labelled, ‘conspiracy theories’ that are generally bandied about by right-wingers or those who lack education against prominent people they dislike, such as progressive leaders like US President Joe Biden and former president Barack Obama.
Therefore, the most important of all facts about the Illuminati is that their myths have no basis and must not be believed by rational minds. Moreover, there has never been any evidence to remotely suggest that anything the Illuminati conspiracy theorists claim has even a grain of truth.
(Hero and Featured images: Courtesy of Renato Rocca/@renato-rocca-2397962 via Pexels)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Illuminati refers to a number of alleged secret societies that are believed to be composed of powerful elites. Its literal meaning is 'enlightened'.
The sign of the Illuminati is the Eye of Providence which is also known as the All-Seeing Eye.
It is alleged that several prominent celebrities are members of the Illuminati. But there is no truth to such claims.
The most common myth about the Illuminati is that it exists. There are many who irrationally believe that some powerful people are members of a secret society and control the world.
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Manas Sen Gupta writes at the intersection of tech, entertainment and history. His works have appeared in publications such as The Statesman, Myanmar Matters, Hindustan Times and News18/ETV. In his spare time, Manas loves studying interactive charts and topographic maps. When not doing either, he prefers reading detective fiction. Spring is his favourite season and he can happily eat a bowl of noodles any time of the day.
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