Santa Clara, Calif. — Nvidia's Huang Hired PR Firm in Oct. 2025

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang began working with the crisis communications firm Heller as early as October 2025, roughly a year before he admitted to an extramarital affair with a woman U.S. intelligence officials have linked to Chinese espionage, according to two sources familiar with the matter cited by WIRED. The timing means Nvidia's internal communications staff were told to loop in an outside crisis firm on all press inquiries about Huang, personal or professional, well before the affair became public, WIRED reported, citing people familiar with the arrangement.

What Did Nvidia's CEO Hire a Crisis PR Firm to Handle?

By the end of October 2025, Nvidia's internal communications teams had been instructed to include Heller on any press inquiries involving Huang, whether the subject was business or personal, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to WIRED. Heller's consultants were initially believed to have been brought in for matters tied to Huang's personal life, including his family's philanthropic work, people familiar with the arrangement told WIRED. The firm communicated frequently with Huang and with his daughter, Madison Huang, a product marketing director at Nvidia who has taken on a more visible role at the company, according to WIRED's sources. WIRED reports it is not clear whether Heller's early work for the family touched on the affair itself.

Who Is Heller, and Why Is Its Client List Notable?

Heller was founded by Risa Heller, who has built a reputation representing powerful men facing allegations of sexual misconduct and other personal controversies, according to a 2023 New York magazine profile cited by WIRED. Past clients or people who have sought her advice include former congressman Anthony Weiner, chef Mario Batali, and writer Jeffrey Toobin, WIRED reported. The firm also does standard corporate communications work unrelated to personal scandals, according to WIRED.

How Does the Firm Connect to the Chinese Spying Allegation?

In 2024, Huang began appearing publicly with a woman known as Alice Huang, a former executive at Megaspeed, a Singapore-based buyer of computer chips, The New York Times has reported, as cited by WIRED. Megaspeed split off from a Chinese gaming and cloud computing company in 2023, a few months after the U.S. government began restricting exports of advanced semiconductors to China, including chips made by Nvidia, according to WIRED. A Megaspeed subsidiary later became a major buyer of Nvidia chips, WIRED reported.

In early October 2025, Huang's business dealings with Megaspeed and his connection to Alice became public in a lengthy New York Times report alleging that the U.S. Commerce Department was investigating whether Megaspeed was helping Chinese firms get around American export controls through its subsidiaries, according to WIRED's account of that reporting. The story caused tension inside Nvidia's top ranks, and Huang was described as rankled by it, people familiar with the matter told WIRED. It was in the weeks following that report, by the end of October 2025, that Heller's role expanded to cover all press inquiries about Huang, according to WIRED's sourcing.

U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Alice, who WIRED notes has no known relation to Jensen despite the shared surname, is working as a spy for the Chinese government, according to The New York Times as cited by WIRED.

What Has Nvidia Said About Huang's Relationship With Alice Huang?

Nvidia initially said Huang's interactions with Alice were part of routine business dealings with clients, according to WIRED. On Sunday, Huang acknowledged the affair, WIRED reported, though the full text of his statement was not included in the material WIRED published. When WIRED emailed a representative for Heller for comment, the representative referred the publication to Nvidia. Nvidia did not immediately respond to WIRED's requests for comment, according to the outlet.

What Happens Next for Huang and Nvidia's Communications Team?

WIRED's reporting does not detail any changes to Nvidia's board oversight, Huang's role, or the company's relationship with Megaspeed following the admission. The piece leaves open whether the Commerce Department's examination of Megaspeed's export practices is continuing, and whether federal investigators have questioned Huang directly about his relationship with Alice. WIRED is asking current or former Nvidia employees with information to contact its reporters on Signal, suggesting the outlet expects to continue reporting on the matter. Readers looking for primary filings or a Commerce Department statement on the Megaspeed export review will not find one in the current WIRED account; none was cited in the story.

AlterEgo — A keyboard for character voices. Five free persona rewrites a day.