Chinese Billionaire Xu Bo Fathered 100+ Children via U.S. Surrogates to Build Gaming Dynasty

Xu Bo, the billionaire founder and chairman of Guangzhou Duoyi Network — one of China's largest mobile gaming companies, valued at roughly $1.1 billion — has pursued an extraordinary and controversial strategy to secure his business legacy: fathering a massive number of children through U.S.-based surrogates, apparently to produce American-born heirs who can one day inherit his fortune.

A Wall Street Journal investigation found Xu was seeking parental rights to at least four unborn children in 2025, while simultaneously fathering at least eight more through surrogacy arrangements. His company reportedly stated he has more than 100 children born via U.S. surrogates, though the company later pushed back, claiming only 12 were actually born in the United States. An ex-girlfriend alleged the total worldwide count could be as high as 300 — a figure the company denied. Posts linked to Xu on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo described him as seeking "50 high-quality sons," and during a 2023 court hearing, he stated he hoped to have approximately 20 U.S.-born children to eventually run his gaming empire.

Xu's motivations appear to blend succession planning with a fixation on American citizenship and elite social connections. He reportedly fantasized about his U.S.-born children one day marrying Elon Musk's children — a vision that reflects both his ambitions and the broader trend of ultra-wealthy men treating reproduction as a dynastic tool. Xu's company accused the Wall Street Journal of deliberately distorting facts and fabricating information in its reporting.

Xu is not alone in this approach. Telegram founder Pavel Durov, worth an estimated $12.1 billion, has donated to a sperm clinic for over 15 years, resulting in more than 100 pregnancies across 12 countries. Durov has six officially recognized children with three partners, but treats all offspring — naturally conceived or donor-conceived — as equal heirs. He has explicitly updated his will to reflect this, stating he wants none of his children fighting over his estate after his death. Together, Xu and Durov represent a striking new archetype: the billionaire who treats biological reproduction as an extension of corporate strategy.