what is the illuminati?

As part of the European Enlightenment, they were a group, originally called "The Perfectiblists" who gather mostly to discuss ideas in politics. They formed in Bavaria in 1776, but, the Prince Elector thought that as they had secrets, they were plotting against him. Some groups with secrets were in fact, but, the Illuminati were not. Still, they were banned in 1783, and outlawed in 1785, and that was the end of them.

But, with a cool name, and secrets, many writers have written all sorts of things about them, and these stories have grown.

They are gone. There definitely isn't a splinter organization called the Acaciatreemati that controls the Russian, European and Japanese governments... (Hides a tattoo with An Eye inside an acacia) definitely doesn't exist!! (This is a joke I am not serious)

A bunch of ashes there has not been any Illuminati for 230 years

A name in made up American fiction books (1990-current). It stands in fiction as a name for 'a secret society'.

Irrelevant, they haven't existed since the 1780s.

It was started by Gruad the Grey in Atlantis. He killed the hairy Hippie Feminist, Lili Velkor, on a revolving peace symbol. Read Robert Anton Wilson's, "Illuminatus" for a full, completely detailed history.

An offshoot of the Masons, founded by Adam Weishaupt around 1770, with the intention that it unite all the movers and shakers of the day to run the world more directly and sensibly. It was quickly banned, and ceased to exist before 1790. Pretty much forgotten until SF author Robert Anton Wilson wrote a trilogy of novels proposing it still exists

A group of intellectuals in the 18th century. An historical group of people.

Bilderberg group

il·lu·mi·na·ti

/iˌlo͞oməˈnädē/Submit

noun

plural noun: illuminati

people claiming to possess special enlightenment or knowledge of something.

"some mysterious standard known only to the illuminati of the organization"

a sect of 16th-century Spanish heretics who claimed special religious enlightenment.

noun: Illuminatus; plural proper noun: Illuminati

a Bavarian secret society founded in 1776, organized like the Freemasons.