# The Conspiracy Chart > The Conspiracy Chart is Abbie Richards' 2020 inverted-pyramid infographic ranking conspiracy theories from grounded reality to dangerous antisemitism that spawned an exploitable meme format. The Conspiracy Chart is an inverted pyramid infographic that ranks conspiracy theories from grounded-in-reality events at the bottom to dangerous, antisemitism-rooted beliefs at the top. Created by Abbie Richards in October 2020, the chart went viral on TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram before spawning an exploitable meme format in late 2021 where users replaced the conspiracy entries with jokes, fandom references, and absurdist humor. ## Origin Abbie Richards, a Boston-based climate science researcher, created the original Conspiracy Chart in 2020. The idea came from an unlikely place: a Tinder conversation about conspiracies[1]. Richards found it ridiculous that no system existed to categorize the wildly different things all labeled "conspiracy theory," from documented government abuses to violent ideological movements[1]. She made the chart for herself first, then shared it with friends who responded enthusiastically[1]. On October 3, 2020, Richards posted the first version to Twitter, where it picked up roughly 31,700 likes over the following year[3]. The chart also spread to platforms like Imgur in the days after[3]. Richards had built an audience on TikTok through climate science content and, memorably, a page devoted to hating golf[1]. A previous viral moment in June 2020 had drawn her into studying online disinformation after she woke up to screenshots from a Nazi group chat attempting to dox her[1]. That experience pushed her to understand how people fall into extremist ideologies, which directly informed the chart's design[1]. - **Platform:** TikTok (creator's audience), Twitter (viral spread) - **Creator:** Abbie Richards (disinformation researcher, original chart creator) - **Date:** 2020 ## Overview The Conspiracy Chart arranges conspiracy theories in a color-coded inverted pyramid. At the base sit events that actually happened, like the Tuskegee Experiment and Big Tobacco's cover-ups[2]. Moving upward, the chart crosses a "speculation line" into territory where unanswered questions still exist, then past a "reality denial" line where believers start rejecting established science and medicine[2]. At the very top sits what Richards labeled the "antisemitic point of no return," populated by theories claiming a secret cabal of elites controls the world[2]. The visual design made the concept immediately shareable. Rather than a wall of text debunking individual conspiracies, the pyramid format let viewers quickly locate where familiar theories landed on the spectrum. This simplicity drove its virality and made it ripe for parody, as users could easily swap in their own items while keeping the escalating structure intact[3]. ## How It Spread The chart's real breakout came over a year after the original post. On November 22, 2021, Richards tweeted an updated version reflecting events that had occurred since the first, including the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout[2]. "When I made this chart initially, there hadn't even been an election yet, let alone an entire disinformation campaign that the election was stolen," Richards told the Boston Globe[2]. The updated tweet pulled in roughly 73,200 likes in just seven days and was retweeted over 18,000 times[2][3]. Richards also posted the 2021 version to Instagram on November 23, where it received about 22,400 likes in six days[3]. The chart jumped to mainstream media coverage, with outlets like the Boston Globe running explainers[2]. Within a day of the updated tweet, the chart became an exploitable format. On November 23, 2021, Instagram account @kaijushitposting posted what appears to be the first parody version, swapping conspiracy entries for jokes using caption editing[3]. That same day, Twitter user @ComradeToguro created the first known Twitter parody, filling the pyramid with meme references[3]. More users on both platforms made their own versions through the rest of November 2021, applying the format to everything from fandom drama to food opinions[3]. ## How to Use The Conspiracy Chart works as an exploitable template where the pyramid structure and color-coded tiers stay intact but the entries get replaced. Creators typically: 1. Keep the inverted pyramid shape with its escalating tiers 2. Label the bottom tier with widely agreed-upon or harmless takes 3. Fill the middle tiers with increasingly niche, debatable, or absurd claims 4. Reserve the top tier for the most extreme or ridiculous positions 5. Optionally keep the dividing lines ("speculation line," "antisemitic point of no return") or rename them to fit the joke ## Cultural Impact Richards designed the chart with a specific goal: helping people understand that not all conspiracy theories carry the same weight[1]. Someone questioning aspects of a historical event is in a fundamentally different place than someone who believes in a global shadowy cabal[1]. The chart gave people a visual vocabulary for that distinction. The Boston Globe highlighted how the chart arrived during a period of heightened isolation and fear, when people were more vulnerable to conspiracy thinking[2]. Richards noted that social media algorithms feed misinformation to anxious users seeking simple answers: "When you feel uncertain about the world it's much easier to buy into a theory where there's like very black and white villains and heroes"[2]. Richards also offered practical advice for talking to people who believe in charted conspiracies. She recommended approaching with empathy rather than calling believers stupid, and suggested casting doubt on specific aspects of their beliefs rather than arguing head-on[2]. "You aren't going to out-logic a belief that's not based in logical conclusion," she said[2]. The chart's top tier, where theories cross into antisemitic territory, maps onto well-documented patterns in conspiracy culture. Theories about shadowy elites secretly controlling the world are "always rooted in antisemitism," Richards explained[2]. This connects to a long history of such narratives, from The Protocols of the Elders of Zion to modern conspiracies targeting figures like George Soros[4]. ## Fun Facts - The chart was literally born from a Tinder conversation. Richards was chatting about conspiracies with a match and realized nobody had made a proper categorization system[1]. - Richards was living in the Netherlands pursuing a master's in climate studies with "twenty Dutch roommates" when the chart blew up[1]. - Her previous viral moment on TikTok was running a page entirely devoted to hating golf, which she stood by[1]. - The 2021 version got more engagement on Twitter in a single night than the 2020 version did in an entire year[2]. - When Richards was doxxed after her golf account went viral, police didn't know what doxxing was and told her it was "her fault for posting on the internet"[1]. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the Conspiracy Chart? The Conspiracy Chart is an inverted pyramid infographic ranking conspiracy theories from factual events at the bottom to dangerous, antisemitism-rooted beliefs at the top, created by Abbie Richards in 2020[1][2]. ### Where did the Conspiracy Chart come from? Abbie Richards created the original chart in 2020 after a Tinder conversation about conspiracy theories made her realize no categorization system existed[1]. She first posted it to Twitter on October 3, 2020[3]. ### What does the Conspiracy Chart mean? The chart illustrates that not all conspiracy theories are equally harmful. It distinguishes between documented events, speculative questions, reality-denying beliefs, and antisemitic ideologies at the extreme top[2]. ### How do you use the Conspiracy Chart? People use it as a meme template by keeping the pyramid structure but replacing the conspiracy entries with jokes, hot takes, or niche community opinions arranged from reasonable to extreme[3]. ### Is the Conspiracy Chart still popular? The format saw peak popularity in late 2021 when the updated version went viral. While new versions still appear, the initial explosion of parodies slowed after November 2021[3]. ### Who is Abbie Richards? Richards is a Boston-based disinformation researcher and TikTok creator with a background in climate science. She was 25 when the chart went viral and was pursuing a master's degree in climate studies in the Netherlands[2][1]. ### Why did Richards update the chart in 2021? The original 2020 version predated the presidential election and the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Richards created the updated version to reflect how much the conspiracy landscape had changed[2]. ### What is the "antisemitic point of no return" on the chart? It's the top dividing line marking where conspiracy theories become rooted in beliefs about secret elite cabals controlling the world, which Richards said are always tied to antisemitic tropes[2]. ### How is the Conspiracy Chart different from Iceberg Tier memes? Both use a vertical tier structure ranking things by obscurity or extremity. The Conspiracy Chart specifically maps real conspiracy theories by danger level, while Iceberg Tiers tend to rank knowledge depth within any topic[3]. ### When did the chart become a meme template? The first known parody versions appeared on November 23, 2021, one day after Richards posted her updated chart, with users on both Instagram and Twitter creating joke versions[3]. ## References 1. [I talk to the creator of the Conspiracy Chart]() 2. [This chart on conspiracy theories has gone viral. A local disinformation researcher breaks down what to know - The Boston Globe]() 3. [The Conspiracy Chart - Know Your Meme]() 4. [George Soros conspiracy theories]() --- Source: https://meme.com/memes/the-conspiracy-chart Published by meme.com — The Internet Meme Library