Nvidia’s communications with reporters about CEO Jensen Huang came to include an outside crisis communications firm, Heller. The firm had worked with Huang and his family since at least October 2025, according to two people familiar with the arrangement, and Nvidia’s internal communications teams were later told to include it on press inquiries about him.
A family advisory role expanded to press inquiries
Heller’s early work was understood to concern Huang’s personal life, including the family’s philanthropic endeavors, according to people familiar with the arrangement. The firm frequently communicated with Huang and his daughter Madison, a product marketing director at Nvidia who has become more prominent within the company, sources told WIRED.
It is unclear whether Heller’s early work involved Huang’s affair. The firm’s involvement in press handling was broader: by the end of October 2025, Nvidia staff had been instructed to include Heller on inquiries about Huang, whether the questions concerned personal or professional matters.
Heller’s founder, Risa Heller, has handled corporate communications as well as personal controversies. A 2023 New York Magazine profile described her as a fixer for powerful men facing allegations of sexual misconduct and other personal issues. Past clients and people who sought her advice included former congressman Anthony Weiner, chef Mario Batali, and writer Jeffrey Toobin.
Business ties and a personal relationship surfaced
Huang began appearing publicly in 2024 with a woman known as Alice Huang, according to The New York Times. She was a former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based chip buyer. The source article says Alice has no known relation to Jensen Huang.
Megaspeed was created after splitting from a Chinese gaming and cloud computing firm in 2023, a few months after the US government began restricting exports of advanced semiconductors to China, including Nvidia’s. A Megaspeed subsidiary later became a major buyer of Nvidia chips.
In early October 2025, a lengthy New York Times report brought Huang’s business dealings with Megaspeed and his connection to Alice into public view. The report alleged that the US Commerce Department was investigating whether Megaspeed was helping Chinese firms evade American export controls through its subsidiaries. The story reportedly raised tensions among Nvidia’s senior leaders and rankled Huang.
Huang acknowledged the affair as scrutiny grew
US intelligence officials determined that Alice was a spy working for the Chinese government, according to The New York Times. Nvidia initially characterized Huang’s interactions with her as routine business with clients. On Sunday, however, Huang told Nvidia staff that the relationship had been romantic.
In an email to employees, Huang apologized to his family and colleagues, writing: “I was unfaithful to my wife. My actions hurt her and our children. There is no excuse for what I did. I am deeply sorry,” Huang wrote.
The company’s board announced an independent investigation into Huang’s activities. It said it had no reason to believe national security or confidential Nvidia information had been compromised. The source does not say what the investigation will examine or when it will conclude.
What is known about Heller’s role
The reporting describes Heller as part of the communications response around Huang, but it does not establish whether the firm’s initial engagement concerned the affair or how its work evolved. Heller referred WIRED to Nvidia when contacted by email; Nvidia did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Heller’s political communications background also intersects with Nvidia’s team. Before starting her firm, Risa Heller worked for Jane Harman, then a Democratic congresswoman from California, and later served as Democratic senator Chuck Schumer’s New York City press secretary. Nvidia’s head of public policy communications, John Rizzo, previously worked for Schumer as his deputy communications director.