Chinese billionaire Xu Bo, founder of mobile gaming company Guangzhou Duoyi Network, is reportedly pursuing an ambitious plan to father approximately 20 U.S.-born children through surrogacy to inherit his $1.1 billion video game fortune. According to a 2025 Wall Street Journal investigation, the entrepreneur has already fathered at least 12 children through surrogates and was seeking parental rights to several more unborn children at the time of reporting.
The report revealed that Xu Bo’s company had previously stated he has more than 100 children born through surrogates in the United States, though the company later disputed this figure. During a 2023 court hearing, Xu expressed his goal of having around 20 American-born children to eventually take over his business operations, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Chinese Billionaire Seeks U.S.-Born Heirs for Gaming Empire
Despite building his fortune in Guangzhou, China, Xu Bo has deliberately chosen to have his children born in the United States rather than his home country. Accounts linked to the billionaire on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo allegedly stated he was seeking “50 high-quality sons” and believed that “having more children can solve all problems,” according to the investigation.
However, the exact number of Xu’s children remains disputed. His company, Duoyi Network, released a statement challenging the Wall Street Journal’s reporting, claiming the publication had “deliberately confused the facts and fabricated false information.” The company insisted that only 12 of the alleged 100-plus children were actually born in the United States.
Additionally, Xu’s ex-girlfriend made claims in late 2025 that he had fathered 300 children living around the world. The billionaire’s company denied these allegations as well. The entrepreneur also reportedly fantasized about his American-born children potentially marrying the offspring of Tesla CEO Elon Musk in the future.
Growing Trend Among Ultra-Wealthy Entrepreneurs
Xu Bo is not alone in this approach to legacy planning and succession. Telegram founder Pavel Durov has similarly helped conceive at least 100 babies across 12 countries through a combination of traditional partnerships and sperm donation. Meanwhile, billionaires like Elon Musk have also fathered multiple children who are expected to inherit their business empires.
As of late 2025, Durov, worth $12.1 billion according to Bloomberg, had six officially recognized children with three different partners. In contrast to his official family, the tech entrepreneur has also been donating to a sperm clinic for more than 15 years, which informed him the donations had resulted in over 100 pregnancies.
In an interview with French publication Le Point last year, Durov explained his approach to inheritance planning. “I make no difference between my children: There are those who were conceived naturally and those who come from my sperm donations,” he told the publication. “They are all my children and will all have the same rights! I don’t want them to tear each other apart after my death.”
The practice of ultra-wealthy individuals fathering large numbers of children through surrogacy raises questions about inheritance law, citizenship rights, and family dynamics. Authorities have not confirmed whether any investigations into these surrogacy arrangements are ongoing, and the long-term legal implications for succession planning remain uncertain.