Power Structure

The Illuminati has allegedly been around for about 240 years since their humble beginning in 1776. Very few organizations have been around for that long. Poor decisions leading to bankruptcy, as well power struggles, and a number of other factors tend to play a role in bringing down an organization. So how has the Illuminati avoided this?

Adam Weishaupt, the de facto leader and founder of the Illuminati potentially played a huge role. At a young age, Adam's father passed away, leaving him to be cared for by his godfather, Baron Ickstatt, who was the dean of the University of Ingolstadt, in Bavaria. As a result of his godfather's status, Adam was able to receive a full education, and became a philosopher and a university law professor. By doing so, Adam slowly built a reputation as an educated and intelligent man. He became wealthy and influential, as a result, made friends with some powerful people.

When Adam created the Illuminati, he did it with the help of his friends. Together, they built an organization from the ground up. Due to Adam's good reputation as an educated and intelligent man, recruiting members to join the cause was easy. This explains how the Illuminati was able to establish itself early. Yet, the question remains, how did the organization continue to exist, throughout the century, after Adam had long passed away? The answer, may very well be under our noses. The Roman Catholic Church.

The Roman Catholic Church is an example of an "organization" that has survived throughout the centuries. It's influence spans across the globe, with it's members populating every single part of the world. The Illuminati, in a way, are very similar. They allegedly have an influence that spans across the globe, and are also believed to have members all over the world. The Catholic Church is a huge organization, yet it manages to stay organized and "control" all of it's members because it has a power system, with the pope at the top. The Pope does not control every aspect of the Catholic faith, rather there are divisions, each with their own responsibility. Is it entirely possible that the Illuminati has a system similar to that of the Catholic Church? If they did, it would explain how they managed to survive throughout the century. 

Analysis: Adam was a university professor who specialized in law. He would have probably understood that he couldn't do everything by himself. As a result, it is extremely likely he would have created divisions of power within the Illuminati, each with their own responsibility. Adam's rich and influential friends probably would have been near the top of the pyramid, with the newer members occupying the lower levels. 
When Adam passed away, the Illuminati would have probably decided its new leader with a vote between the top members, similar to how a new Pope is selected by the top members of the Catholic Church (Cardinals). That way, the organization can continue operating and there would be no disagreement on who the successor should be. It is also entirely possible that Adam had an apprentice, in which he groomed to be the next successor.
With the Power system, the Illuminati probably would have worked on a need to know basis. The lower rank you are, the less you would know, and vice versa. This would ensure members do what they are suppose to and stay loyal to the organization. Money would have not been a problem as Adam was wealthy, and so were his friends. Throughout time, the Illuminati would have found some way to generate more income, most likely through donations from it's top members, as well as possibly establishing a business, however, that has yet to be proven.

Through the power system, it is entirely possible for the Illuminati to continue operating through the century. Therefore, as of this blog post, the Illuminati can possibly still exists.

However, it should be noted that this is an assumption on whether or not the Illuminati has a power structure. There are some websites that have talked of the Illuminati power structure, but they fail to provide any reliable source which indicates where they have gotten their information. The analysis done was based on the given information that is widely agreed upon on the internet.

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