A Los Angeles family court uncovered that Chinese billionaire Xu Bo sought parental rights to at least four unborn children through surrogacy, on top of at least eight others already fathered in the U.S. During a 2023 confidential hearing, Xu appeared via video and said he hoped to have 20 or more U.S.-born sons to take over his business, raising alarm over the ethics of commissioning multiple children for inheritance purposes.
Judge Amy Pellman denied Xu’s parentage petition, noting that surrogacy is meant to help people build families, not amass children as business assets. Xu’s ambitions highlight a growing trend of Chinese elites seeking U.S.-born children, exploiting legal loopholes as domestic surrogacy is illegal in China.
Surrogacy agencies and IVF clinics in the U.S. have become increasingly sophisticated in serving international clients, sometimes managing dozens of births simultaneously.
Experts say the U.S. surrogacy industry faces little oversight for international clients, raising ethical and legal concerns. Some Chinese billionaires aim to create dynasties with large numbers of children, often hiring multiple agencies and clinics.
Lawmakers and regulators are now examining potential human trafficking, birthright citizenship, and surrogacy exploitation, while cases like Xu’s expose the lack of transparency in cross-border fertility arrangements and the challenges of enforcing ethical limits.