Chinese Billionaires Creating Family Dynasties Through US Surrogacy: Legal and Ethical Implications

Chinese elites are utilizing American surrogates to expand their families, creating significant implications for citizenship laws and highlighting the largely unregulated surrogacy industry in the United States.

A peculiar pattern emerged at a Los Angeles family court when clerks noticed the recurring name of Xu Bo, a Chinese videogame executive. Court records revealed he was seeking parental rights for at least four unborn children while already fathering or in the process of fathering eight more through surrogates, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

In 2023, Judge Amy Pellman called Xu to appear for a hearing, during which he joined via video from China with an interpreter. According to WSJ, Xu disclosed his intention to father "20 or so US-born children through surrogacy," expressing preference for male children whom he considered superior and potential successors for his business empire. Many of these children were under nanny care in Irvine, California, awaiting travel documentation.

The judge denied Xu's petition for parental rights. Those present at the hearing noted that while surrogacy typically helps individuals start families, Xu's plans deviated significantly from traditional parenting concepts.

Xu has maintained a low public profile for nearly a decade. When contacted, a representative from his company, Duoyi Network, claimed via email that "much of what you described is untrue."

This case exemplifies a growing trend among Chinese elites who engage US surrogates to expand their families, often without ever setting foot in America. Reports indicate some wealthy Chinese parents invest millions in American surrogacy arrangements to create expansive family units.

Nathan Zhang, CEO of IVF USA, explained that while earlier clients sought to circumvent China's former one-child policy, today's wealthier parents aim to commission dozens or even hundreds of US-born children to establish "an unstoppable family dynasty." Zhang referenced Elon Musk as a "role model" for these parents, noting the Tesla CEO's 14 known children.

Other Chinese billionaires have pursued surrogacy with specific objectives. For instance, Wang Huiwu, a Sichuan education executive, reportedly hired American models and egg donors to produce 10 daughters with the intention of arranging strategic marriages in the future. This practice has drawn criticism in China, where surrogacy is domestically prohibited, though enforcement against citizens utilizing foreign services remains limited.

According to WSJ, the surrogacy market has evolved into a sophisticated industry. American clinics, agencies, legal firms, and nanny services facilitate the entire process, sometimes enabling parents to receive children without ever entering the United States, at costs reaching $200,000 per child. This raises questions about American citizenship laws, as children born on US soil automatically acquire citizenship under the 14th Amendment.

Xu has publicly shared his ambitions online. Accounts associated with him have fantasized about potential marriages between his children and Elon Musk's offspring.

Tang Jing, Xu's former girlfriend, alleged on Weibo that he has 300 children living across multiple countries. Duoyi Network responded that this figure was exaggerated, stating that Xu has "only a little over 100" children born through surrogacy in the United States.

The phenomenon of Chinese elites utilizing international surrogacy services highlights complex legal, ethical, and social challenges in an increasingly globalized world.