The belief in a cabal of shadowy billionaire cultists, pulling the global strings, has evolved from fringe conspiracy theory to a widely accepted certainty. This elusive and faceless organization is often assumed to be the Illuminati, despite history telling us that they ceased to exist sometime in the late 1780s. Could the Illuminati have somehow survived, lurking in the shadows all these years?
The answer is a convoluted maybe. To clarify, Adam Weishaupt’s Bavarian Illuminati no longer exists. However, if we look closely, we can draw some intriguing lines connecting the old Illuminati to a real secret society that may very well be reaching the height of its power today: the infamous Order of Skull and Bones.
If there were an heir to Weishaupt’s throne, the most likely candidate would be renowned philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. Hegel is considered one of the world’s greatest and most influential thinkers. To call him merely an Illuminati proxy would be an injustice to his intellectual legacy. However, Hegel’s ties to the Illuminati, his state-centric philosophies (Hegelianism), and his role as Chair of Philosophy at the University of Berlin (1818-1831) are significant in this context.
Enter William Huntington Russell, an American student at Yale University who studied abroad at the University of Berlin in 1830. It’s worth noting that his cousin, Samuel Russell, founded Russell & Company, a firm that made immense profits from the international opium trade. Samuel’s business partners included notable figures like Warren Delano Jr. (grandfather of President Franklin Roosevelt), John Cleve Green (financier of Princeton), and other influential families like the Perkins, Sturgis, and Forbes families. This web of connections raises the question: Why did young William Russell leave Yale to study in Berlin?
While we can’t be certain if Russell studied directly under Hegel or if they even met, the timing aligns. Notably, Weishaupt was still alive during this period and living relatively close by. What we do know for sure is that in 1832, after returning to Yale, William Russell co-founded the Order of Skull and Bones with classmate Alphonso Taft (father of President William Howard Taft).
Allegedly, a leaked document from an 1876 break-in at the “Tomb” (Skull and Bones’ meeting hall) reads:
“Bones is a chapter of a corps in a German University… General Russell, its founder, was in Germany before his Senior Year and formed a warm friendship with a leading member of a German society. He brought back with him to college, authority to found a chapter here.”
This “German society” is inferred to be the Illuminati. Whether true or not, the fact that Skull and Bones operates much like a continuation of the Illuminati is almost undeniable.
Over nearly two centuries, Skull and Bones has included many influential individuals, from congressmen and senators to high-ranking cabinet members, judges, and even presidents. The membership also boasts numerous academic leaders and industrialists. Most notably, members have been almost exclusively conservative Republicans, though there are exceptions, such as John Kerry, the current Presidential Special Envoy for Climate. You may recall Kerry’s 2004 presidential run, where he squared off against fellow Bonesman, George W. Bush.
Objectively, we can observe the Illuminati’s recruitment strategy playing out in the membership structure of Skull and Bones, albeit with greater prudence. Each year, only fifteen carefully chosen members are inducted, and while the group no longer seems to focus on elaborate rituals or esoteric knowledge, it certainly offers a crash course in power and politics. Bonesmen spend only their senior year as active members, though their covenant with the group lasts for life. With the financial backing of the Russell Trust Association and support from alumni, graduates are fast-tracked into powerful positions—again, a tactic straight from Weishaupt’s playbook.
The secrets of Skull and Bones are well kept, but many have speculated about them. However, the true story can be seen in their membership and their remarkable ability to gain power and influence. While it’s impossible to list everyone, here are two notable figures: Stephen Schwarzman, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of the Blackstone Group—a company often linked with Illuminati theories—and Steven Mnuchin, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and former Goldman Sachs CIO. If the Illuminati are real (and I’m not saying they are), these men could be considered card-carrying members.
In the end, the Skull and Bones, whether directly descended from the Illuminati or not, embodies the very secrecy and power that conspiracy theorists love to vilify. The irony is that many of these theorists, largely conservative-leaning themselves, unknowingly align with the values promoted by the very group they accuse of orchestrating a global conspiracy.
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Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
