Nvidia CEO Hires PR Firm Known for Handling Sensitive Controversies

Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang has hired a high-profile PR firm known for handling sensitive personal controversies.

The firm, founded by Risa Heller, has a reputation for managing reputations for powerful men facing allegations of misconduct and other personal issues. This expertise is evident in its client roster, which includes former congressman Anthony Weiner, chef Mario Batali, and writer Jeffrey Toobin. The firm also handles corporate communications and various business-related matters.

Huang's hiring of the PR firm was initially believed to be related to his family's philanthropic efforts, but sources suggest it may have been more complex than that. People familiar with the arrangement say the firm frequently communicated with Huang and his daughter Madison, a product marketing director at Nvidia who has become increasingly prominent within the company.

The exact nature of the PR firm's work for Huang remains unclear, including whether it involved addressing personal issues such as an affair. This ambiguity is reflected in the fact that Huang began appearing publicly with a woman named Alice Huang, a former executive at Singapore-based chip buyer Megaspeed, only later in 2024.

The investigation into Nvidia's dealings with Megaspeed, a Singapore-based chip buyer, gained momentum in October 2025 when a New York Times report alleged that the US Commerce Department was probing whether the company was helping Chinese firms evade American export controls through its subsidiaries.

As tensions rose within Nvidia's top ranks, Jensen Huang reportedly became increasingly frustrated by the negative publicity surrounding his business dealings with Megaspeed. This is evident in the fact that internal communications teams were instructed to include a PR firm known for handling sensitive issues, such as sex scandals, on any press inquiries related to Huang.

The inclusion of this PR firm, Heller's company, marked a significant shift in Nvidia's approach to managing its public image. According to sources, by the end of October 2025, Nvidia's internal communications teams had been directed to include Heller's firm on all press inquiries about Jensen Huang, whether personal or professional.

When reached for comment, a representative for Heller referred questions back to Nvidia, which declined to respond to requests for further information at the time.

Nvidia's founder and CEO Jensen Huang has acknowledged that his relationship with a woman named Alice was romantic in nature, contrary to initial statements from the company.

In an email to Nvidia staff, Huang expressed remorse for his actions, stating that he had been unfaithful to his wife and hurt her and their children. He emphasized that there is no excuse for what he did and apologized profusely.

The acknowledgement comes after it was revealed that Nvidia's head of public policy communications, John Rizzo, previously worked with a PR firm run by Risa Heller, who has handled high-profile cases including sex scandals.