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(SEOUL/LOS ANGELES) — A growing number of Chinese billionaires are reportedly leveraging American surrogates to rapidly expand their families, a trend some claim is inspired by the pronatalist views of Tesla CEO Elon Musk. This practice has recently come under judicial scrutiny in the United States, highlighting ethical and legal complications.

In a landmark 2023 ruling, the Los Angeles Family Court denied parental rights to Xu Bo, the head of Chinese gaming company Duoyi Network, for four children still unborn at the time. Court proceedings revealed Xu already had at least eight children via surrogacy and stated his goal was to father 20 children in the U.S., expressing a preference for sons who would eventually inherit his business.

Xu explicitly cited Musk, who is known to have at least 14 children, as an influence. Musk has publicly argued that individuals and nations with high intelligence and education must reproduce more to prevent a civilizational collapse, particularly expressing concern over lower birth rates in developed nations compared to the developing world—a viewpoint often aligning with U.S. right-wing pronatalism.

However, the LA judge was reportedly shocked by Xu's statements, concluding that his actions did not resemble typical parental intent and amounted to an exploitation of the surrogacy system, which is intended to help build families. The court ultimately rejected his claim to parental rights.

The WSJ reports that Xu’s case is not isolated. Surrogacy agents have testified about Chinese tycoons commissioning dozens, even hundreds, of children simultaneously. Another case involves Wang Huiwu, a wealthy individual who reportedly purchased eggs from American models to have 10 daughters, with the stated goal of marrying them off to powerful men.

This demand has fueled a significant 'surrogacy industry' targeting wealthy Chinese parents. This industry provides comprehensive services, including securing surrogates, managing childbirth logistics, offering nanny services, and baby handover, with costs potentially reaching up to $200,000 per child.

In response to this trend, Republican Senator Rick Scott (Florida) introduced legislation in the U.S. Senate last month aimed at prohibiting surrogacy contracts between U.S. citizens and citizens of specific countries, including China. The legislative push seeks to regulate what many perceive as a concerning commercialization and ethical misuse of the American surrogacy framework.

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