Budapest: Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, a 49-year-old Italian-Hungarian, has a complex background. She speaks seven languages, holds a PhD in particle physics, and lives in an art-filled Budapest apartment. Her career has spanned humanitarian work across Africa and Europe. But now, Barsony-Arcidiacono, the CEO and owner of Hungary-based BAC Consulting, finds herself at the center of controversy.
After the tragic incident in Lebanon this week, where 12 people were killed and over 2,000 injured due to exploding pagers, her company was revealed to have licensed the design for these devices from Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo. Barsony-Arcidiacono denied direct involvement, telling NBC News, “I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong.”
Since the revelation, Barsony-Arcidiacono has remained out of the public eye. Neighbors say she hasn’t been seen, and she has not responded to messages. Her Budapest apartment, where the door was open earlier in the week, is now closed.
Her acquaintances describe a woman of remarkable intellect, but one who has bounced between short-term jobs, often leaving projects incomplete. A former associate noted that she seemed like someone who “could easily be used,” adding that she was not a “business type” but rather someone who enthusiastically pursued new ventures, often in search of income.
Kilian Kleinschmidt, a former UN humanitarian administrator, hired Barsony-Arcidiacono in 2019 to lead a six-month Dutch-funded program to train Libyans in Tunisia. He dismissed her before the contract ended, stating, “Cristiana. That was one of the biggest mistakes of my life, I think… It was simply awful on a personal level. I said enough is enough.”
Attempts to reach Barsony-Arcidiacono at her Budapest home have been unsuccessful. Her apartment is decorated with life drawings in red and orange pastels, but there has been no response when journalists visited or called.
Neighbors describe her as kind and communicative, though she had not attended the art club she once frequented in some time. The club’s organizer recalled her as outgoing and businesslike, rather than artistic. Barsony-Arcidiacono’s schoolmates from Santa Venerina, Sicily, remember her as a reserved child from a modest family. Despite her prestigious education, including a PhD in particle physics from University College London, she did not pursue a scientific career.
Also Read | Russia Knew About Ukraine’s Kursk Offensive Plans Months in Advance: Report
A former professor, Akos Torok, noted that she had not engaged in scientific work since completing her dissertation on positrons. Despite claims of further qualifications in politics and development from esteemed institutions like the London School of Economics, these credentials could not be verified.
Barsony-Arcidiacono’s resume listed various NGO roles across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, though several were disputed. For instance, Donna Goodman, founder of the Earth Child Institute, denied Barsony-Arcidiacono’s claim of having been a board member, saying she had only inquired about a job opening in 2018. Similarly, her brief internship at the International Atomic Energy Agency was exaggerated as a “Project Manager” position.
BAC Consulting’s website, which was taken down this week, provided little clarity on the company’s actual business activities. Its registered address was merely a serviced office in a Budapest suburb.
Barsony-Arcidiacono’s resume described her as a scientist with a diverse background in interdisciplinary projects, claiming expertise in water and climate policy, as well as investments. However, much of her past remains clouded in ambiguity, particularly with regards to her role in the licensing of the deadly pagers.
