[2][3] Christy worked as a writer and chief correspondent for National Geographic Magazine, an Explorer Series television host, a documentary filmmaker, speaker, and educator.

[6] Born on a U.S. Army base in Neubrücke, Germany, Christy grew up in Millville, New Jersey where he began his professional life as a mortician's apprentice working in his family's funeral home.

His first investigation, Curse of the Double Eagle[11] for Playboy, focused on the world's most valuable coin, a 1933 gold piece promoted by Sotheby's and its partner the US Mint as the only one in existence.

[16] While researching for the project, Christy "was bitten between the eyes by a blood python, chased by a mother alligator, sprayed by a bird-eating tarantula, and ejaculated on by a Bengal tiger".

[31]: 12–19  National Geographic Society President and CEO Gary E. Knell was quoted saying, “Given his sterling credentials and valuable reporting on Africa, we are proud that Mr. Christy was given the opportunity to speak before the Foreign Affairs Committee.

He represents the best of what National Geographic Society has to offer, and we are pleased that the Committee considered his testimony as part of a serious commitment to enhancing the relationship between the United States and Africa.