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While any real information about the Illuminati and the possibility of its existence in the modern age is scarce, it’s not stopped netizens from delving deep into its origins and relevance today. Here’s a quick explainer on the Illuminati, why people think it controls the world, and which celebs are believed to be connected to it:

How did the Illuminati begin?

According to Vox, the “Illuminati” refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, which operated from 1776 to 1785. Per the BBC, it began with just five law students, then expanded to over 2,000 members spread across Bavaria, France, Hungary, Italy and Poland, among others.

The same source explains that it was formed as a secret organisation to oppose religious influence on society. Inspired by the Freemasons and French Enlightenment philosophers, the group was created to counter the abuse of power by the state with the goal of fostering a “safe space for critique, debate and free speech”.

Who started the Illuminati?

The Illuminati was founded by German philosopher Adam Weishaupt, a descendant of Jewish converts to Christianity, according to National Geographic. Weishaupt was a professor of natural and canon law at the University of Ingolstadt who was convinced that religious ideas “were no longer an adequate belief system to govern modern societies”, per the same source. His goal was to create another form of “illumination” – a set of ideas and practices – that could, in his mind, change the way Europe was run for the better.

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What is the purpose of the Illuminati?

It’s believed that the original Illuminati disappeared in the late 1700s, with the Duke of Bavaria Karl Theodor banning secret societies in 1785, and imposing serious punishments for anyone who tried to join them, per Vox.

While in the 1700s the Illuminati published political satire to raise awareness of government corruption, modern society’s equivalent would be WikiLeaks, which allowed whistle-blowers to anonymously release information to the public, Goop suggests.

Which celebrities have been accused of being involved in the Illuminati?

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Fans have curated various theories around each celeb – and many of them have even addressed these rumours in songs, comments or hand gestures to the public.