The Bad Boy of Buzz and His PR Problem

Ronn Torossian's 5W represents rappers and evangelicals, but blue-chip clients are more elusive

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November 12, 2007 at 5:00 AM UTC

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What do Anheuser-Busch (BUD ), The American Bible Society, Snoop Dogg, and the folks who brought you the Girls Gone Wild soft-porn videos have in common? The same public-relations guy: Ronn D. Torossian.

Even in an industry fueled by hype, Torossian stands out. He claims to have evangelist Pat Robertson and Israel's Prime Minister on speed dial. He carouses with celebrities. He courts controversy--sliming rivals, scrapping with journalists, lobbing public insults on behalf of clients. And, at 33, he has built his New York-based 5W Public Relations into one of America's fastest-growing independent agencies. "It's easy to hire [firms like] Burson-Marsteller or Edelman," Torossian brags. "It takes guts to hire 5W."