Jennifer Arcuri is an American entrepreneur, video producer, actress, and cybersecurity ethical hacker. She has gained media attention for her friendship with the current British Prime Minister Boris Johnson during his time as Mayor of London. Originally from the United States, Arcuri attended prestigious universities such as Columbia University and the University of Wisconsin. She has a diverse background, having worked as a model, radio DJ, and French translator. Arcuri established several successful business ventures in England before returning to the US. Her involvement with Johnson has become a controversial scandal for his administration.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Jennifer Marie Arcuri
- Age: 38 Years, 38 Year Old Females
- Born Country: United States
- Business Women
- American Women
- Notable Alumni: Hult International Business School, American University In Paris
- Education: Pace University, University Of Southern California, University Of Wisconsin–Madison, American University in Paris, Hult International Business School
Childhood & Early Life
Jennifer Arcuri was born in February 1985, in the United States of America. Little else is known about her upbringing and family life.
Education & Career
In 2001, Arcuri earned a law certificate from Columbia University in New York. She also studied theatre and politics there. In 2003, she enrolled at the University of Wisconsin – Madison to study law but left the school a year later. During her time there, she was a member of the Sailing Club, the Equestrian Society, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
In 2004, she started attending Pace University – Lubin School of Business, pursuing a Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in musical theatre. Furthermore, she served as the corporate student ambassador while she was there.
After graduating in 2008, she joined the University of South Carolina in 2009 to study transmedia producing, producing, film, and international business. She left the USC in 2010 and attended Hult International Business School from 2011 to 2012, pursuing a Master in Business Administration degree.
According to most news outlets, Arcuri worked as a model at one point. From January 1997 to May 2007, she served as Radio Disney DJ Razzle Dazz at the Walt Disney Company, working under the ABC Company and ESPN Broadcasting. During this period, she lived in at least in three cities: Orlando, Florida; New York City, New York; and Louisville, Kentucky.
While she was living in New York, she worked at the United Nations as a French translator for the Commission on the Status of Women Conference from January 2005 to May 2007.
In May 2008, she worked for a month as a junior sales assistant at Imageworks Entertainment at Cannes Film Festival. Between May 2008 and May 2010, she was a sales assistant at the Independent Film and Television Alliance. At one point, she was employed as an assistant PA at Bravo’s ‘Inside the Actors Studio’ with James Lipton.
A self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur, Arcuri set up Playbox Ltd., which is a social media platform for the video tech industry. She founded UB Film, a digital studio that connects aspiring filmmakers to their audience, in December 2007 and served as its vice president of programming from its establishment until June 2011.
She is the co-founder of Osaka Joe’s Sushi Bar in Morro Bay, California, and was its director of operations from June 2008 to June 2012. In January 2013, she launched The InnoTech Network. In February 2016, she founded Hacker House.
In 2005, she made her acting debut in the TV series short ‘The Wright Stuff’. Her big-screen debut came in 2009 in the comedy film ‘Commute’, in which she portrayed the role of Madeline. In 2011, she appeared in the Indian film ‘Naughty @ 40’.
Controversy Surrounding Connection with Boris Johnson
Jennifer Arcuri relocated to London in 2011, and worked there for several years before returning to US. During her time in UK, she became quite close to Boris Johnson, who was serving as the Mayor of London at the time. Johnson appeared as a keynote speaker at least at one summit hosted by her InnoTech Network.
In September 2019, ‘The Sunday Times’ published an article in which it was claimed that Arcuri had received a total of £126,000 in public money and privileged access to three official overseas trade expeditions headed by Johnson, despite her company coming short of the standard for the eligibility.
‘The Sunday Times’ reported that Johnson paid regular visits to Arcuri’s apartment in Shoreditch, East London, insinuating that there was a sexual relationship between the two. In October 2019, she claimed that her laptop, in which personal information about her time with Johnson had been stored, had been stolen.
In late October 2019, during her appearance on ‘Good Morning Britain’, she told host Piers Morgan that she and Johnson connected over their “mutual love for literature”. She also called him “electrifying” but refused to divulge any information about their personal lives, saying it was “no one’s business”.
On 18 November, Arcuri appeared on BBC and ITV morning shows and revealed that she had not seen Johnson since he had become the PM. During her interview with the BBC, she stated that despite knowing her for a decade, he refused to talk to her now. Furthermore, she accused him of “feeding her to the wolves”.