The most outrageous conspiracy theories

Everyone knows about one or more conspiracy theories. Despite their lack of evidence and an abundance of information to the contrary, more and more people adhere to at least one of them in present-day society. Here you'll see some of the most famous and absurd conspiracy theories circulating around the world.

Deliberately triggered pandemics, conspiracies by pharmaceutical companies, and even such crazy hypotheses as the implantation of 5G chips in vaccines… conspiracy theories began flourishing during the Covid-19 pandemic. They can be found in documentaries and numerous campaigns on social media.

Russia's war in Ukraine, since February 2022, has also generated its share of far-fetched theories. Some people claim that the West is responsible for the hostilities, which may have been caused by an extensive Russian propaganda campaign abroad.

Even if they are reactivated by recent events, conspiracy theories tend to be old. Shortly after the French Revolution, monarchist authors already explained the fall of the Ancien Régime by the action of Satanist forces. No doubt, it was a way to find a simple explanation for the violent and surprising events of the Revolution.

In the second half of the 20th century, doubts were cast about whether American astronauts really walked on the moon or whether the moon landing was faked. Because of the Russian-American rivalry in the conquest of space, this theory is still widespread in Russian public opinion.

At the beginning of the 21st century, one of the most common conspiracy theories was the questioning of Al-Qaeda's responsibility in organizing the September 11 attacks. A common theory attributes the origin of the attacks to the American government or to a supposed global elite.

Another infamous conspiracy theory of recent years is that of the 'reptilians:' the world is supposedly controlled by extraterrestrial reptiles with a human appearance. Several powerful politicians and business leaders would be among them. According to a 2013 poll, 12 million Americans believed in this theory.

The flat Earth theory is a challenge to a long-established scientific truth. The community of people who believe the earth is flat has continued to grow in recent years, particularly through social networks.

There are also people who refuse to believe that our planet is flat, but instead they think it's hollow and the interior is inhabited by dinosaurs, Vikings, aliens, and even Nazis! No one knows, however, how this small world could even exist in the depths of the Earth.

The construction of the imposing pyramids of Egypt remains partly shrouded in mystery. And that's enough for some people to fuel all kinds of speculation, in particular the idea that the piramides were built by extraterrestrials. The architects of Antiquity are unfortunately no longer here to tell us otherwise...

Shortly after the end of World War II, rumors of Hitler's survival and flight to Latin America spread. Decades later, a woman claimed in a bestselling book that the Nazi leader would have lived in Brazil and died there at the age of 95.

Part of a misunderstanding, this theory is probably the funniest of all: Finland supposedly is a nonexistent country. A young man spread the story on social media that his parents had made him believe for years that Finland was a fiction, fabricated from scratch by Russia, Japan, Nokia, and a fish reserve, Internet users believed him at his word and spread the theory even further.

Famous worldwide for the role of Neo in the 'Matrix' and 'John Wick' movies, Keanu Reeves appears to be aging very slowly. He also looks a lot like certain historical figures, such as the late French comedian Paul Mounet. These characteristics have fueled theories about the supposed immortality of the actor.

Speaking of The Matrix, the idea that our world is just one gigantic computer simulation has become more popular in recent years. We have supposedly been created by a civilization much more advanced than ours, and we are like puppets in their fake world. Some fans would like to believe that the world of their favorite movie is the real thing.

In 2015, Brazilian fans launched an improbable theory about Avril Lavigne. She had just radically changed her look and musical style, and therefore they figured that the French-Canadian singer was dead. They believed she had died in 2003, following the death of her grandfather, and she would have hired a doppelganger as a diversion. The artist was shocked that so many people would actually believe this.

Although he died in June 2009, Michael Jackson is believed by some to still be alive. Fans who may not have been able to grieve properly, claim that the American singer is alive and well and has started a new life away from the spotlight.

People with red hair have always been the subject of irrational beliefs, and even of bullying and abuse in some cultures. Conspiracy theories about them are very common, including the hypothesis that they descended directly from Aliens.

Last but not least, the new King of England, Charles III, has been accused of being a vampire since his time as Prince of Wales. Many conspiracy theories have targeted the British royal family for years, but this one is arguably the wackiest of them all.