i know this may be a really stupid question...

i have googled around and searched these forums but i still can not find the answer to a probably obvious answer.
who are the illuminati?
i have heard they are the shadow government.......but who are they, what do they do, what are their goals, where did it start, and who is in it.
terribly sorry if this is really really stupid...
kindest regards,

-galen

Here ya go:
en.wikipedia.org...