This reminds me of a book my parents had from the 1930s or 1940s on strange stories and conspiracy theories. A group of people, according to one story, has secretly ruled the world for over three thousand years. The telling about this story was very skeptical, ending with a sentence summarizing the theory that three million, three hundred thirty-three thousand, three hundred thirty-three people have secretly ruled the world for over 3,000 years as follows:
"If 3,333,333 people can keep a secret for over three thousand years, they deserve to succeed!"