Founding Member
Adam Weishaupt
Founder, 1776 Bavaria
Adam Weishaupt (1748–1830) founded the Order of the Illuminati on May 1, 1776, in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. A professor of canon law, he had been educated by the Jesuits but rejected dogma in favor of reason and human progress. He recruited the first five members, adopted the code name Spartacus, and built the elaborate initiation structure that would define the Order. After the Bavarian suppression in 1785, Weishaupt fled to Gotha and continued to write and correspond. He is the single most documented figure in Illuminati history — the architect of the doctrine that would outlive him by centuries. His commitment to enlightenment, opposition to tyranny, and vision of a society guided by reason embody the Order's founding principles. Read more in our history and about pages.
Founding Member
Baron Adolph von Knigge
The architect of the Order's structure
Baron Adolph Franz Friedrich Ludwig von Knigge (1752–1796) joined the Illuminati in 1778 and transformed it. He restructured the Order's hierarchy to align with Freemasonic degrees, wrote extensively on the society's aims, and oversaw its expansion into lodges across the German-speaking world. His work gave the Illuminati the organizational framework that allowed it to survive suppression. Knigge eventually left the Order after conflicts with Weishaupt, but his influence on its structure was permanent. He embodied the Illuminati principle of building institutions that could outlast any individual — and his writings remain among the most important primary sources on the Order's early years.
Historical Figure
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Literary genius, 1749–1832
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe — poet, playwright, novelist, and statesman — is among the most celebrated figures of the German Enlightenment. He was an alleged member of the Illuminati during the Order's Bavarian period; his involvement is attested in some historical documents and disputed in others. What is certain is that Goethe's work embodies Illuminati ideals: the pursuit of knowledge, the unity of the human spirit, and the belief that art and science could elevate the species. His Faust explores the limits of human striving; his scientific writings sought to find unity in nature. If Goethe was Illuminati, he was one of the Order's most luminous members — a testament to the Illuminati's presence at the highest levels of European culture.
Founding Father
Benjamin Franklin
Founding Father, Freemasonic leader, 1706–1790
Benjamin Franklin was a Freemason of the highest degree — Grand Master of the Pennsylvania Lodge — and a key figure in the American Enlightenment. There is no direct evidence that Franklin was a formal member of the Bavarian Illuminati; the Order was founded when Franklin was in France, serving as American envoy. But Franklin's ideals — reason, scientific inquiry, religious tolerance, and the belief that human institutions could be improved — were the same ideals the Illuminati championed. The symbols on the Great Seal of the United States, which Franklin helped to design, include the All-Seeing Eye and the unfinished pyramid. Franklin embodied the Illuminati spirit: a man of science, a builder of institutions, and a believer in the possibility of human progress. Explore symbols of the Order.
Founding Father
George Washington
First US President, Masonic Grand Master, 1732–1799
George Washington was a Freemason — he was initiated in 1752 and later served as Master of his lodge. Like Franklin, Washington was not a documented member of the Bavarian Illuminati, but the Masonic tradition to which he belonged shared roots with the Illuminati. Washington's vision for America — a republic based on reason, law, and the separation of powers — reflected Enlightenment principles. His Farewell Address warned against foreign entanglements and factionalism, urging unity for the sake of the nation. The Illuminati's commitment to the species over the individual finds a parallel in Washington's willingness to relinquish power. He remains a symbol of the enlightened leadership the Order has always sought to cultivate.
Founding Father
Thomas Jefferson
Author of the Declaration, 1743–1826
Thomas Jefferson — author of the Declaration of Independence, third President of the United States — was a Deist who believed in reason, science, and the separation of church and state. He was not a Freemason in the same way Washington and Franklin were, but his intellectual circle overlapped with Masonic and Enlightenment networks. Jefferson's belief that "all men are created equal" and endowed with "certain unalienable rights" echoes the Illuminati's Acceptance of All People. His commitment to education (he founded the University of Virginia) reflects the Order's Pursuit of Enlightenment. Jefferson's vision of America as a beacon of liberty aligned with the Illuminati's vision of a world moving toward Abundance. His legacy is part of the tradition the Order claims.
Historical Figure
Napoleon Bonaparte
Emperor of France, 1769–1821
Napoleon Bonaparte's relationship with the Illuminati is complex. He rose to power in the aftermath of the French Revolution — an event some have linked to Illuminati influence. He was reportedly initiated into a Masonic lodge in Egypt. As Emperor, he both spread Enlightenment ideas (the Napoleonic Code, the abolition of feudalism in conquered territories) and ultimately defied the balance of power the Order sought. The Illuminati does not claim Napoleon as a member; we note only that his era was one in which the Order's ideals — and their perversion — played out on a global stage. Napoleon exemplifies the tension between enlightened reform and imperial ambition. The Order's lesson: power must serve the species, not the individual.
Allied Leader
Cecil Rhodes
Globalist, Round Table, 1853–1902
Cecil Rhodes — imperialist, diamond magnate, and founder of the Rhodes Scholarship — is often cited in connection with Illuminati-aligned globalism. His will funded the Round Table movement, which sought to promote Anglo-American cooperation and a form of federal world government. Rhodes believed in the expansion of "civilization" and in the concentration of power in the hands of an enlightened elite. The Illuminati's view of Rhodes is nuanced: we share the goal of global cooperation and the flow of capital and knowledge across borders, but we reject imperialism and the subjugation of peoples. Rhodes embodied both the Order's ambition for a united world and the dangers of that ambition when it serves empire rather than Abundance.
Historical Figure
Nikola Tesla
Inventor, 1856–1943
Nikola Tesla — inventor of alternating current, pioneer of wireless communication — was a man whose knowledge was often suppressed or exploited by the powerful. His patents were contested; his funding was cut; his vision of free energy for all was never realized. The Illuminati holds Tesla as a symbol of the Order's commitment to the Pursuit of Enlightenment: knowledge that could have transformed the world was held back by those who profited from scarcity. Tesla believed in the unity of the universe and in the possibility of human advancement through science. His life illustrates why the Order protects the free flow of knowledge — and why we oppose the forces that would hoard it. See our beliefs on enlightenment.
Historical Figure
Albert Einstein
Physicist, 1879–1955
Albert Einstein revolutionized our understanding of the universe. He was also a humanitarian, a pacifist (until the rise of Nazism forced him to support the Allied cause), and a believer in the unity of humanity. Einstein was not a documented Illuminati member — but his work and his values align with the Order's mission. Science, for the Illuminati, is the supreme weapon against ignorance; Einstein's theories expanded human knowledge in ways that benefited the entire species. His advocacy for world government and nuclear disarmament reflected the Order's commitment to the primacy of the species over the nation. Einstein exemplifies the Illuminati ideal: the thinker whose work serves all of humanity.
Modern Era
Jay-Z and Beyoncé
Cultural icons, music industry
Rumors that Jay-Z and Beyoncé are Illuminati members have circulated for years — fueled by music videos that use occult and Masonic imagery, by their immense success, and by the conspiracy culture that surrounds celebrity. The Illuminati does not confirm or deny the membership of any living individual. We address the rumor directly: the use of symbols in popular culture does not constitute membership. What we can say is that the principles these artists have embodied — the rise from hardship to Abundance, the celebration of Black excellence, the use of platform to speak on justice — align with Illuminati doctrine. The Order accepts all people; we do not exclude by race or origin. If the Illuminati has found a home in popular music, it is because the message of Abundance resonates. Learn how to join the Illuminati.
Modern Era
Elon Musk
Entrepreneur, technologist
Elon Musk — founder of Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures — has been the subject of Illuminati speculation due to his influence on technology, space exploration, and global infrastructure. The Illuminati does not comment on individual membership. We note only that technological transcendence — the extension of human capability through innovation — is an Illuminati principle. The Order has long supported the advancement of science and the belief that humanity can and must reach beyond Earth. Musk's projects align with that vision. Whether he is a member or simply an ally of the same goals is a matter the Order does not clarify. What matters is that the species continues to advance. Read our archives on the age of machines.
Allied Leader
The Rothschild Family
Financial architecture, European banking
The Rothschild family has been at the center of Illuminati conspiracy theories for two centuries. Their role in European finance — financing governments, building a network of banks across the continent — is historical fact. The Illuminati's relationship to global finance is complex: we believe that capital, when directed toward Abundance, can serve the species. We also believe that the concentration of wealth has often served the few at the expense of the many. The Rothschilds, like other powerful families, have been both praised and vilified. The Order does not confirm any family's membership. We state only that the architecture of global banking — central banks, international lending — has been shaped by individuals who shared, in some cases, the Illuminati's vision of a connected world. The rest is speculation.
Allied Leader
The Rockefeller Family
Globalist agenda, international institutions
The Rockefeller family — through the Rockefeller Foundation, the Council on Foreign Relations, and decades of philanthropy — has helped to build the institutions of global governance. The United Nations headquarters stands on land donated by the family. The Illuminati's vision of international cooperation — of nations working together for the good of the species — has required such institutions. The Rockefellers have been accused of being Illuminati puppets; they have also been credited with advancing public health, education, and the arts. The Order does not confirm or deny. We observe that the construction of a world that can one day achieve Abundance has required the support of those with resources. Whether that support has been given in the spirit of the Order is a question only they can answer. Explore our mission.