By Lu Ke
Recent in-depth investigations by “The Telegraph” and “The Wall Street Journal” have unveiled that some Chinese billionaires are exploiting the relatively lax surrogacy laws in the U.S. to build what they describe as “unstoppable family dynasties” — so-called “super families” with dozens, or even hundreds, of children.
According to “The Wall Street Journal,” these ultra-wealthy individuals are using highly systematized surrogacy arrangements to create sprawling bloodlines they believe will form a “family empire” immune to decline. At least one Chinese tycoon was reportedly inspired by Tesla founder Elon Musk, who has 14 children and has been accused of privately referring to them as a “legion” to counter global population decline.
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Because surrogacy remains illegal within mainland China, the United States has increasingly become a destination for China’s wealthy elite engaging in what has been described as “fertility tourism.” The total cost of surrogacy for a single child can reach as high as $200,000, a process that often involves transporting sperm or eggs overseas and completing legal parentage procedures locally.
‘China’s #1 father’
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“The Telegraph” reports that reclusive Chinese gaming tycoon Xu Bo has been dubbed “China’s No. 1 Father.” According to his company, the number of his children is “slightly more than 100.” Xu built his fortune developing fantasy-themed online games and is the founder of Duoyi Network.
In 2023, a U.S. judge rejected Xu’s petition for parental rights over four unborn surrogate children. Court proceedings revealed that at the time, Xu had already fathered, or was in the process of fathering, at least eight children through surrogacy. Xu reportedly told the court that he hoped to eventually have 20 U.S.-born children to train as successors and was accused of stating that “boys are superior to girls.”
Duoyi Network later issued a statement denying these claims, saying they were “seriously inconsistent with the facts.”
Missing legal records
Social media accounts linked to Xu have previously asserted that “having more children can solve all problems,” and even fantasized about Xu’s children marrying those of Elon Musk in the future. Other accounts claimed Xu had successfully overturned the 2023 court ruling on appeal, blaming the original decision on “feminist sabotage” and “a malicious ruling by a female judge.”
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However, “The Wall Street Journal” noted that no such appeal filings appear in publicly available Los Angeles court records.
Under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, children born on U.S. soil automatically receive U.S. citizenship. U.S. President Donald Trump is currently seeking to challenge this principle before the Supreme Court in an effort to restrict birthright citizenship.
Customized marriages in an expanding industry
The reports also reference another wealthy Chinese entrepreneur, Wang Huiwu, who is said to have hired American models as egg donors and fathered 10 daughters, allegedly with plans to marry them in the future to “powerful men.”
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Nathan Zhang, founder and head of IVF USA, said that some “extremely wealthy” Chinese clients have expressed a desire to have hundreds of children born in the United States. “Elon Musk is becoming a kind of role model,” Zhang said. “They want to build a family dynasty that cannot be shaken.”
Zhang said he once rejected a billionaire client who sought to produce 200 children through surrogacy in a single arrangement. When asked how he planned to raise them, the client “could not give an answer at all.”
A California surrogacy agency executive said he had helped one Chinese client arrange surrogacy for “100 children” over the past several years. A Los Angeles surrogacy attorney likewise stated that he had assisted a Chinese billionaire in having 20 children through surrogacy in recent years.
Duoyi network pushes back
“Newsweek” reported that China’s “Duoyi Network” issued a statement on Dec. 16 refuting allegations that Xu Bo had fathered more than 100 children through U.S. surrogacy. Previously, a “Wall Street Journal” investigation found that as China’s domestic ban on surrogacy continues, the number of Chinese “intended parents” has risen sharply, fueling a full-scale U.S. surrogacy industry encompassing clinics, surrogate mothers, agencies, lawyers, and nannies.
Xu, now 48, denies ever stating that “boys are superior to girls.” His company said the allegations stem from “unverified anonymous sources” related to a confidential family court hearing remotely presided over by retired judge Amy Pellman.
In November 2024, Xu’s former girlfriend Tang Jing accused him on Weibo of having 300 children across multiple countries. The two are currently involved in additional legal disputes, with Xu counter-accusing Tang of theft. Duoyi Network previously stated that Xu has “only slightly more than 100 children,” of whom just 12 were born in the United States.
Parental rights remain unclear
In its statement, the company demanded that “The Wall Street Journal” immediately remove what it called “defamatory reporting,” issue a public apology, and publish corrections.
“Newsweek” also noted that while some online accounts claim Xu successfully appealed the 2023 ruling, no public records confirm this. The legal status of parental rights over many of his children remains unclear. Some appeals may have been filed in other jurisdictions, but no evidence has surfaced to substantiate these claims.
The phenomenon has also drawn academic scrutiny. Research from Emory University shows that U.S. surrogacy cycles involving foreign intended parents surged from 780 cases in 2014 to 3,240 cases in 2021. In 2019, international surrogacy accounted for roughly 40 percent of all U.S. surrogacy arrangements, with China representing 41.7 percent — more than any other country.
