The global gathering rumoured to decide everything from EU migration policy to the next President of the US: World's elite arrive for Bilderberg – the annual meeting YOU are not allowed to know about

The Bilderberg Conference is taking place at a hotel in Dresden, Germany

Every year around 150 of the world's most powerful people attend

It was set up in 1954 'to improve relations between Europe and US'

But conspiracy theorists believe the secretive group controls the world

Some even claim the Bilderberg Group is a cover for the 'illuminati'



By CHRIS SUMMERS FOR MAILONLINE PUBLISHED: 09:00 GMT, 10 June 2016 | UPDATED: 14:53 GMT, 10 June 2016

This weekend 150 of the world's most powerful people are meeting in the Kempinski Hotel Taschenbergpalais in Dresden, Germany.

A £25million security operation means their secret meetings will be protected by hundreds of police officers and soldiers.

But who are they and what are they doing?

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Police forming a tight security cordon around the hotel in Dresden where the Bilderberg Group are meeting

It is known as the Bilderberg Conference and many people believe those attending are part of a 'new world order' who secretly run the world.

Some even claim it is a cover name for the illuminati, a secret and sinister order founded in 18th century Bavaria.

Ever since its formation in 1954 - at the Hotel Bilderberg in the Netherlands - the talks have been shrouded in mystery because no minutes are kept of what was discussed.

Journalist Jon Ronson wrote a book about the Bilderberg Group, called Them, and the late Labour MP Denis Healey, who co-founded the group, told him: 'Bilderberg is the most useful international group I ever attended. The confidentiality enabled people to speak honestly without fear of repercussions.'

That secrecy is ensured by the so-called Chatham House Rule, which allows those attending the conference to make use of the information they have received but not reveal the identity or affiliation of the person who gave it to them.

But the secrecy has led to suspicions among some that they are deciding on everything from the outcome of the EU referendum to who will be the next US President.

US radio host Alex Jones, who is at the forefront of the conspiracy theorists, heckled them at one meeting through a loudspeaker: 'We know you are ruthless. We know you are evil. We respect your dark power.'

But the conspiracy theorists cannot agree among themselves what is the over-riding ideology of the Bilderberg Group, with some claiming it is unbridled capitalism and others claiming it is tinted with left-wing or even Nazi policies.

Michael Snyder, writing on his Freedom Outpost blog, claims the group was co-founded by a Nazi sympathiser, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, and adds: 'They are still advancing the values and principles at the heart of the Nazi movement to this very day.'

He wrote: 'Just like the Nazis, they believe they are the elite of the world, they are anti-Israel, and they believe in using military power to advance their cause when necessary.'

This theory seems especially potty considering one of the leading lights of the Bilderberg Group is Henry Kissinger, the former US Secretary of State, a prominent Jewish-American and a strong supporter of Israel.

Kissinger was one of the most Machiavellian politicians of the 20th century and has been blamed for everything from the US bombing of Cambodia to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus but was he really acting under orders from the Bilderberg Group? It seems unlikely.

Prince Bernhard's original idea for the Bilderberg Group was ‘that severe economic dips like the Great Depressions could be avoided if responsible and influential leaders could manage world events behind their necessary public posturing'.

The idea was for a big talking shop attended by the great and the good where the mistakes of the past could be learned and the problems of the future avoided.

But the air of suspicion and paranoia has been heightened as police outside the venue were seen this week hassling journalists who were trying to cover the conference.

This is my first time at Bilderberg and I'm shocked by the security. They told us they had their eyes on us all the time
Lauren Southern

Canadian journalist Lauren Southern of The Rebel Media told Mail Online she was followed by police and who had checked her passport and inspected the mobile phones, laptops and camera equipment of her crew.

She said: 'This is my first time at Bilderberg and I'm shocked by the security. They told us they had their eyes on us all the time and they stopped us as we walked across a public square and told us it was a protected zone.'

This year's conference will be attended by former CIA chief David Petraeus, former MI6 chief Sir John Sawers, the chief executive of BP, Robert Dudley, the former President of the European Commission, José Manuel

Barroso, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.


Lauren Southern (pictured) said she was shocked by the security at the conference and the measures police
were going to, to hassle journalists covering it


A placard against the Bilderberg Group meeting is held up outside the conference when it met at Sitges,
near Barcelona in 2010

They are certainly VIPs but if they truly control the world where are the Russians, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Indians and the Arabs?

The list of attendees is dominated by Europeans and North Americans.

So what will be on the agenda this year?

Well the Bilderberg Group has a website and says the key topics for discussion this year will be China, Europe (migration, growth, reform, vision, unity), the Middle East, Russia, the US political landscape, cyber security, the geo-politics of energy and technological innovation.

Also on the agenda is a discussion about the 'precariat' - that is people, often in the middle classes, who are living a precarious existence due to short-term contracts and zero hours and cannot afford to save for a pension or their retirement.

Comedian and writer Charlie Skelton, writing in the International Business Times, claims there will be furious work going on behind the scenes in Dresden in a bid to stop Brexit.

While they insist on maintaining their strict rules on secrecy and refusing access to the media the Bilderberg Group will continue to be dogged by conspiracy theorists blaming them for all the world's ills.

And who knows if it is true or not?

The final guest list

Castries, Henri de Chairman and CEO, AXA Group FRA
Aboutaleb, Ahmed Mayor, City of Rotterdam NLD
Achleitner, Paul M. Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Deutsche Bank AG DEU
Agius, Marcus Chairman, PA Consulting Group GBR
Ahrenkiel, Thomas Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence DNK
Albuquerque, Maria Luís Former Minister of Finance; MP, Social Democratic Party PRT
Alierta, César Executive Chairman and CEO, Telefónica ESP
Altman, Roger C. Executive Chairman, Evercore USA
Altman, Sam President, Y Combinator USA
Andersson, Magdalena Minister of Finance SWE
Applebaum, Anne Columnist Washington Post; Director of the Transitions Forum, Legatum Institute USA
Apunen, Matti Director, Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA FIN
Aydin-Düzgit, Senem Associate Professor and Jean Monnet Chair, Istanbul Bilgi University TUR
Barbizet, Patricia CEO, Artemis FRA
Barroso, José M. Durão Former President of the European Commission PRT
Baverez, Nicolas Partner, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher FRA
Bengio, Yoshua Professor in Computer Science and Operations Research, University of Montreal CAN
Benko, René Founder and Chairman of the Advisory Board, SIGNA Holding GmbH AUT
Bernabè, Franco Chairman, CartaSi S.p.A. ITA
Beurden, Ben van CEO, Royal Dutch Shell plc NLD
Blanchard, Olivier Fred Bergsten Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute FRA
Botín, Ana P. Executive Chairman, Banco Santander ESP
Brandtzæg, Svein Richard President and CEO, Norsk Hydro ASA NOR
Breedlove, Philip M. Former Supreme Allied Commander Europe INT
Brende, Børge Minister of Foreign Affairs NOR
Burns, William J. President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace USA
Cebrián, Juan Luis Executive Chairman, PRISA and El País ESP
Charpentier, Emmanuelle Director, Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology FRA
Coeuré, Benoît Member of the Executive Board, European Central Bank INT
Costamagna, Claudio Chairman, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti S.p.A. ITA
Cote, David M. Chairman and CEO, Honeywell USA
Cryan, John CEO, Deutsche Bank AG DEU
Dassù, Marta Senior Director, European Affairs, Aspen Institute ITA
Dijksma, Sharon A.M. Minister for the Environment NLD
Döpfner, Mathias CEO, Axel Springer SE DEU
Dudley, Robert Group Chief Executive, BP plc GBR
Dyvig, Christian Chairman, Kompan DNK
Ebeling, Thomas CEO, ProSiebenSat.1 DEU
Elkann, John Chairman and CEO, EXOR; Chairman, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ITA
Enders, Thomas CEO, Airbus Group DEU
Engel, Richard Chief Foreign Correspondent, NBC News USA
Fabius, Laurent President, Constitutional Council FRA
Federspiel, Ulrik Group Executive, Haldor Topsøe A/S DNK
Ferguson, Jr., Roger W. President and CEO, TIAA USA
Ferguson, Niall Professor of History, Harvard University USA
Flint, Douglas J. Group Chairman, HSBC Holdings plc GBR
Garicano, Luis Professor of Economics, LSE; Senior Advisor to Ciudadanos ESP
Georgieva, Kristalina Vice President, European Commission INT
Gernelle, Etienne Editorial Director, Le Point FRA
Gomes da Silva, Carlos Vice Chairman and CEO, Galp Energia PRT
Goodman, Helen MP, Labour Party GBR
Goulard, Sylvie Member of the European Parliament INT
Graham, Lindsey Senator USA
Grillo, Ulrich Chairman, Grillo-Werke AG; President, Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie DEU
Gruber, Lilli Editor-in-Chief and Anchor 'Otto e mezzo', La7 TV ITA
Hadfield, Chris Colonel, Astronaut CAN
Halberstadt, Victor Professor of Economics, Leiden University NLD
Harding, Dido CEO, TalkTalk Telecom Group plc GBR
Hassabis, Demis Co-Founder and CEO, DeepMind GBR
Hobson, Mellody President, Ariel Investment, LLC USA
Hoffman, Reid Co-Founder and Executive Chairman, LinkedIn USA
Höttges, Timotheus CEO, Deutsche Telekom AG DEU
Jacobs, Kenneth M. Chairman and CEO, Lazard USA
Jäkel, Julia CEO, Gruner + Jahr DEU
Johnson, James A. Chairman, Johnson Capital Partners USA
Jonsson, Conni Founder and Chairman, EQT SWE
Jordan, Jr., Vernon E. Senior Managing Director, Lazard Frères & Co. LLC USA
Kaeser, Joe President and CEO, Siemens AG DEU
Karp, Alex CEO, Palantir Technologies USA
Kengeter, Carsten CEO, Deutsche Börse AG DEU
Kerr, John Deputy Chairman, Scottish Power GBR
Kherbache, Yasmine MP, Flemish Parliament BEL
Kissinger, Henry A. Chairman, Kissinger Associates, Inc. USA
Kleinfeld, Klaus Chairman and CEO, Alcoa USA
Kravis, Henry R. Co-Chairman and Co-CEO, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. USA
Kravis, Marie-Josée Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute USA
Kudelski, André Chairman and CEO, Kudelski Group CHE
Lagarde, Christine Managing Director, International Monetary Fund INT
Levin, Richard CEO, Coursera USA
Leyen, Ursula von der Minister of Defence DEU
Leysen, Thomas Chairman, KBC Group BEL
Logothetis, George Chairman and CEO, Libra Group GRC
Maizière, Thomas de Minister of the Interior, Federal Ministry of the Interior DEU
Makan, Divesh CEO, ICONIQ Capital USA
Malcomson, Scott Author; President, Monere Ltd. USA
Markwalder, Christa President of the National Council and the Federal Assembly CHE
McArdle, Megan Columnist, Bloomberg View USA
Michel, Charles Prime Minister BEL
Micklethwait, John Editor-in-Chief, Bloomberg LP USA
Minton Beddoes, Zanny Editor-in-Chief, The Economist GBR
Mitsotakis, Kyriakos President, New Democracy Party GRC
Morneau, Bill Minister of Finance CAN
Mundie, Craig J. Principal, Mundie & Associates USA
Murray, Charles A. W.H. Brady Scholar, American Enterprise Institute USA
Netherlands, H.M. the King of the
NLD
Noonan, Michael Minister for Finance IRL
Noonan, Peggy Author, Columnist, The Wall Street Journal USA
OLeary, Michael CEO, Ryanair Plc IRL
Ollongren, Kajsa Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam NLD
Özel, Soli Professor, Kadir Has University TUR
Papalexopoulos, Dimitri Group CEO, Titan Cement Co. GRC
Petraeus, David H. Chairman, KKR Global Institute USA
Philippe, Edouard Mayor of Le Havre FRA
Pind, Søren Minister of Justice DNK
Ratti, Carlo Director, MIT Senseable City Lab ITA
Reisman, Heather M. Chair and CEO, Indigo Books & Music Inc. CAN
Rubin, Robert E. Co-Chair, Council on Foreign Relations USA
Rutte, Mark Prime Minister NLD
Sawers, John Chairman and Partner, Macro Advisory Partners GBR
Schäuble, Wolfgang Minister of Finance DEU
Schieder, Andreas Chairman, Social Democratic Group AUT
Schmidt, Eric E. Executive Chairman, Alphabet Inc. USA
Scholten, Rudolf CEO, Oesterreichische Kontrollbank AG AUT
Schwab, Klaus Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum INT
Sikorski, Radoslaw Senior Fellow, Harvard University; Former Minister of Foreign Affairs POL
Simsek, Mehmet Deputy Prime Minister TUR
Sinn, Hans-Werner Professor for Economics and Public Finance, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich DEU
Skogen Lund, Kristin Director General, The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise NOR
Standing, Guy Co-President, BIEN; Research Professor, University of London GBR
Thiel, Peter A. President, Thiel Capital USA
Tillich, Stanislaw Minister-President of Saxony DEU
Vetterli, Martin President, NSF CHE
Wahlroos, Björn Chairman, Sampo Group, Nordea Bank, UPM-Kymmene Corporation FIN
Wallenberg, Jacob Chairman, Investor AB SWE
Weder di Mauro, Beatrice Professor of Economics, University of Mainz CHE
Wolf, Martin H. Chief Economics Commentator, The Financial Times GBR


The global gathering rumoured to decide everything from EU migration policy to the next President of the US: World's elite arrive for Bilderberg - the annual meeting YOU are not allowed to know about