‘That’s a lot of kids’: US surrogate learns she is carrying Chinese billionaire’s child

She eventually signed an agreement with Patriot Conceptions, a surrogacy agency. She shared that the agency described the intended parent simply as a single father who wanted to expand his family.

It was only after she asked how many other women were carrying children for the same man that she said she learned there were many other surrogates involved. She was reportedly told the number was close to two dozen.

“I can’t be exact, but I know it was a large number,” the woman said, adding that she found herself thinking, “That’s a lot of kids at one time.”

Despite her concerns, the woman said she decided to continue with the pregnancy because she had already signed a contract and needed the money. She also said friends and relatives encouraged her to proceed.

Hundreds of children

The revelations come amid growing scrutiny of Xu, the 48-year-old founder of Chinese online gaming company Duoyi. Xu has been described as a recluse and has reportedly called himself “China’s first father”.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Xu’s company has claimed that he has fathered more than 100 children through US surrogacy arrangements. Chinese social media has put the number even higher, after Xu’s former girlfriend alleged that he had fathered more than 300 children, including 11 she said she had raised for years.

Xu and his former girlfriend are currently involved in a custody dispute over two daughters they share. Xu has reportedly accused her of owing him millions of dollars in expenses he paid over the years, while not publicly disputing her claims about the number of children he has fathered.

A 2022 video linked to Xu reportedly showed dozens of young boys gathered inside a mansion. As the camera moved through the room, the children reportedly rushed towards the cameraman shouting “Daddy” in Chinese.

Reports say Xu has also expressed a desire to have at least 20 or more US-born children, particularly sons, whom he hopes could eventually help take over his business. His interest in building a large family has been linked to his admiration for Tesla CEO Elon Musk and fantasies about his children one day marrying Musk’s children.

In 2023, a California judge reportedly considered petitions from Xu seeking parental rights for four unborn children and at least eight other children he had paid for through surrogacy. Xu appeared at a confidential hearing via video and reportedly told the judge he hoped to father 20 or more US-born children, the report added.

The judge rejected his petitions for parental rights, reportedly leaving questions over the legal status of some of the unborn children.