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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang hired crisis public relations firm Risa Heller Communications last year, a firm widely known for handling high-profile personal controversies and sex scandals.
The PR Firm and Early Collaboration
Risa Heller, the founder of the firm, built a reputation as a fixer for powerful men dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct and personal controversies, as outlined in a 2023 New York Magazine profile. Her past clients and individuals who sought her advice include former congressman Anthony Weiner, chef Mario Batali, and writer Jeffrey Toobin. The firm also manages corporate communications and matters unrelated to personal scandals.
According to individuals familiar with the arrangement, Heller’s consultants were initially thought to be hired for matters concerning Huang’s personal life, including his family’s philanthropic projects. Sources told WIRED that the firm frequently communicated with Huang and his daughter Madison, a product marketing director at Nvidia who has gained an increasingly prominent role within the organization. It remains unclear whether the firm’s early work with the family involved Huang’s affair.
Business Dealings and Public Scrutiny
As reported by The New York Times, Huang began appearing publicly in 2024 with a woman named Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based chip purchaser Megaspeed. Megaspeed formed as a spin-off from a Chinese gaming and cloud computing firm in 2023, shortly after the United States government began implementing export restrictions on advanced semiconductors to China, including chips designed by Nvidia. A Megaspeed subsidiary subsequently emerged as a major buyer of Nvidia hardware.
Jensen Huang’s business connections to Megaspeed and his relationship with Alice became public in early October 2025 through a detailed New York Times article. The report stated that the US Commerce Department was investigating whether Megaspeed and its subsidiaries were assisting Chinese companies in bypassing American export controls.
According to sources, the article generated internal tension among Nvidia’s leadership, and Jensen was displeased by the coverage. By the end of October, Nvidia internal communications staff received instructions to include Heller’s firm on all press inquiries regarding Huang, encompassing both personal and professional matters.
A representative for Heller directed inquiries to Nvidia when contacted by email, while Nvidia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Revelations and Investigation
US intelligence officials concluded that Alice, who shares no known relation to Jensen Huang, is an operative working for the Chinese government, as reported by The Times. Nvidia initially stated that Jensen’s interactions with Alice constituted routine client business. However, Huang admitted to a romantic relationship with her in an email sent to Nvidia employees on Sunday, stating that he owed an apology to his staff and family.
Huang wrote in his email to staff that he was unfaithful to his wife, acknowledged that his actions hurt her and their children, stated there was no excuse for his behavior, and expressed deep sorrow. Following the admission, Nvidia’s board of directors initiated an independent investigation into Huang’s activities, noting they had no indication that national security or confidential Nvidia data was compromised.
Before establishing her agency, Risa Heller worked for then-Democratic congresswoman Jane Harman of California and later served as the New York City press secretary for Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer. John Rizzo, Nvidia’s head of public policy communications, also previously worked for Schumer as deputy communications director.
