Top 10 Most Popular Conspiracy Theories of 2023

December 21, 2012 came and went with the world still turning. Since then, conspiracy theorists have been trying to reboot the rapture with September 23. Rooted in the 1970s, one theory suggests that Earth will collide with the rogue Nibiru, aka Planet X, on this date. After missing the mark in 2003, the theory made a comeback on September 23, 2017. After that, doomsday was pushed back to April 23, 2018. Conspiracy theorists returned to September 23 in 2023, although this was less about the Nibiru hypnosis and more about the date’s prominence in projects like “Little Shop of Horrors,” “Sleepy Hollow,” “Knowing,” and “Tomorrowland.” A Taco Bell commercial was even referenced. Fitting since, given the outcome, this was the fast food of conspiracy theories.

Leader of the pro-Russian, private military company Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin supported Vladimir Putin until he launched a rebellion in June 2023. It didn’t pan out well for Prigozhin, who died in a plane crash with several others precisely two months after calling off the rebellion. And this is the part where we dramatically ask, “Or did he?!” Within a week of the crash, rumors started circulating that Prigozhin staged his demise. Although the DNA evidence indicates otherwise, conspiracy theorists believe that Prigozhin either had a body double take his place or that he was on a second jet. While there’s little backing up those far-fetched theories, there may be a real conspiracy surrounding Prigozhin’s death with evidence suggesting that his plane was sabotaged.

A mysterious orb seemingly made from iron is discovered on the beach. If this was anywhere else in the world, you’d probably assume it’s a random piece of debris. Since it was found in Hamamatsu, though, there can only be one logical explanation: it’s nesting season for Godzilla. Social media leaped at the opportunity to present the rusty sphere as a giant reptile egg. Other theories connected the orb to Dragon Balls and Michael Crichton’s “Sphere.” The most practical theory was that it might be a bomb. Using X-rays, the authorities deduced that the orb was empty. So, no explosives or unborn Godzooky inside. They’ve yet to figure out where the ball came from, however. Until then, Godzilla believers aren’t taking any chances.

Burning Man 2023 unfortunately coincided with hazardous floods, but it could’ve been worse. As Burning Man attendees found themselves all wet, an online rumor started spreading like wildfire, warning of an Ebola outbreak. This snowballed into another rumor claiming that people were being quarantined at Burning Man, in addition to being stranded because of the floods. With limited food supplies, people resorted to cannibalism. As ridiculous as this all sounds, readers had to second-guess themselves when they noticed that a few headlines were linked to sources like NPR, Forbes, CNN, and the CDC. Of course, those images were all doctored. Marjorie Taylor Greene got in one more conspiracy theory, though, saying that the mud at Burning Man brainwashed people into believing in climate change.

Centered on sex trafficking, “Sound of Freedom” became the surprise hit of the summer. It was also among the year’s most controversial releases with critics arguing that it endorsed QAnon. Although director Alejandro Monteverde denies this, star Jim Caviezel championed a false QAnon theory while promoting the film at the Health and Freedom Conference. Tim Ballard, whom Caviezel portrays, has been accused of supporting QAnon as well. It’s been debated how many people actually watched the film given its “Pay It Forward” model, which allows people to buy and donate tickets. Angel Studios nonetheless says that most ticket buyers were “everyday people.” The studio shot down yet another theory that AMC was canceling and sabotaging screenings when in reality, the chain was adding more theaters.

27 years after rapper Tupac Shakur’s murder, Las Vegas police arrested gangster Duane Davis. Charged with first-degree murder, Davis is suspected to be the last survivor connected to Shakur’s death. This break in the case revived a popular theory that Shakur’s shooter was Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’ nephew. Hours before Shakur was gunned down, he got into a fight with Anderson in the MGM Grand lobby. Anderson died during an unrelated shootout in 1998. Even as the authorities moved away from Anderson, many still saw him as the prime suspect. Davis has pleaded not guilty, although on more than one occasion, he’s identified Anderson as the shooter. While certain details remain murky, the theory that Anderson was involved is becoming more and more likely.

The term 15-minute city pertains to urban areas with all of the bare essentials within close proximity. Whether you’re walking to school or biking to the store, everything can be reached in roughly 15 minutes. The concept is designed to improve lives, but in 2023, conspiracy theorists painted 15-minute cities as an elaborate government plot to suppress residents and control the population. Since cars aren’t required in 15-minute cities, it’s also been theorized that they’re the first steps in banning fossil fuel vehicles. “Dystopia,” “ghettos,” and “urban incarceration” are just some of the phrases that people have used to describe 15-minute cities, despite not having much to go on beyond speculation. Nevertheless, believers have threatened people like Carlos Moreno, who helped conceive 15-minute cities.

Most of the people who’ve threatened Donald Trump have been civilians, but could an impending assassination attempt go all the way to the top? No, but that didn’t stop Tucker Carlson from declaring that “we’re speeding towards [Trump’s] assassination” in 2023. With Trump likely to receive the 2024 Republican nomination and possibly another presidential victory, Carlson implied “both parties have decided” that Trump is too “threatening” to keep around. Famed conspiracy regurgitator Alex Jones echoed Carlson, saying that the so-called “deep state establishment” will either poison Trump and make it look like a heart attack or they’ll blow up his plane. We’d ask, “Based on what evidence,” but it’s Tucker Carlson and Alex Jones. Silly things like facts have never deterred them before.

Seeing is believing. Those who’ve spent their lives watching the stars were ready to believe when journalist Jaime Maussan addressed Mexico’s Congress, presenting two tiny, mummified bodies resembling aliens. Maussan claimed that the bodies were discovered six years earlier in Peru, although the beings themselves may be nearly 1,000 years old. What’s more, one of the supposed aliens had eggs inside her. It’s unclear how the bodies got from Peru to Mexico, but Maussan asserts that he’s “done absolutely nothing illegal.” Many have questioned the beings’ origins, as well as Maussan’s credibility. Some experts think the beings were manipulated using real mummy parts. Others theorized that they resemble actual Nazca mummies from Peru. We’re waiting for the Men in Black to give their verdict.