Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, a 49-year-old Italian-Hungarian scientist and humanitarian, is at the heart of an international investigation after a series of explosive pagers killed 12 people and injured more than 2,000 in Lebanon. While the media has focused on the devastating attacks, Barsony-Arcidiacono, the CEO and owner of Hungary-based BAC Consulting, has repeatedly denied any involvement.
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The explosion has been linked to pagers licensed by her company from Taiwanese manufacturer Gold Apollo. However, in a statement to NBC News, she claimed, “I am just the intermediary. I think you got it wrong.” Despite these denials, Barsony-Arcidiacono has disappeared from public view, and her Budapest apartment has been shuttered.
From Particle Physics to Pastels
Barsony-Arcidiacono is no ordinary CEO. A polymath, she speaks seven languages and holds a PhD in particle physics from University College London (UCL). Her doctoral dissertation on positrons—subatomic particles with the mass of an electron but a positive charge—remains available on the UCL website. Yet, despite her scientific prowess, she left academia and pursued a career in humanitarian work across Africa, Europe, and the Middle East.
Beyond her intellectual achievements, Barsony-Arcidiacono is an artist. Her Budapest apartment is adorned with her own pastel drawings of nudes, which hang in the small vestibule outside her front door. Neighbors describe her as kind and communicative, though she has not been seen in recent days.
Her eclectic career and personal interests have only added to the intrigue surrounding her involvement in the Lebanon pager incident.
Peripatetic Career
Despite her impressive credentials, Barsony-Arcidiacono’s career has been marked by a series of short-term jobs. Kilian Kleinschmidt, a former UN humanitarian administrator, hired her in 2019 to run a Dutch-funded project in Tunisia. The project aimed to train Libyans in hydroponics, IT, and business development. However, Kleinschmidt quickly grew dissatisfied with her management style and ended her contract early.
“Cristiana… that was one of the biggest mistakes of my life,” Kleinschmidt told Reuters. “It was simply awful on a personal level… I should probably have done it sooner.”
Former colleagues paint a similar picture, describing Barsony-Arcidiacono as highly intelligent but struggling to settle into a stable role. One acquaintance remarked that she “could easily be used” and suggested she was often enthusiastic about new ventures but lacked the business acumen to see them through.
Lingering Questions and a Shuttered Apartment
As the investigation into the pager explosions continues, Barsony-Arcidiacono has remained silent. She has not responded to calls or emails from Reuters, and neighbors report that her once-open apartment door is now tightly shut. Her art, however, remains visible through the vestibule, offering a glimpse into her personal life amid the media frenzy.
Authorities in multiple countries, including Hungary, Taiwan, and Bulgaria, are working to determine how or when the pagers were weaponized and detonated. BAC Consulting’s website, which provided little detail about the company’s operations, has been taken down. Despite the mounting questions, no clear answers have emerged, leaving Barsony-Arcidiacono at the center of a troubling and complex investigation.
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The New York Times reported that BAC Consulting might have been part of an Israeli front, with shell companies created to mask the true identities of those responsible for the pager explosions. Intelligence sources described the devices as a “modern-day Trojan Horse.” Despite the serious accusations, Barsony-Arcidiacono’s role remains murky, and as authorities dig deeper, the full extent of her involvement—or lack thereof—has yet to be revealed.