Surrogacy Report Raises Questions
A surrogate carrying a baby for Chinese billionaire Xu Bo says she did not initially know his identity, as a wider investigation examines gaps in US surrogacy protections Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

A US surrogate says she only discovered from a television report that the intended father of the baby she is carrying is Xu Bo, a Chinese billionaire reported to have more than 100 children through American surrogacy arrangements, intensifying scrutiny of how well US law protects women who carry pregnancies for others.

The disclosure has raised questions over US protections for women when intended parents use multiple surrogates at the same time.

Documents identified Xu Bo as the intended father in the woman's contract. The surrogate, identified as 'Judy' to protect her privacy, said she had been told she was carrying for a single father, but did not know his identity or the scale of the reported arrangements.

Xu Bo Surrogacy Report Highlights Disclosure Gaps

Judy said that she responded to an Instagram advertisement for surrogacy because she hoped the arrangement would help her build a better life for herself and her seven‑year‑old daughter.

After signing with Patriot Conceptions, she said she was told the intended parent was a single father. Judy also said she asked how many other surrogates he had hired and was told the number was close to two dozen.

'I can't be exact, but I know it was a large number,' Judy said. She added that she felt bound by the contract and needed the money.

It has been reported that documents later identified Xu Bo as the intended father. His former partner Tang Jing, amid an ongoing legal dispute, has alleged that he may have as many as 300 children. Xu has disputed that figure.

An image posted on a Duoyi Network social‑media account linked to Xu showed more than 100 young children seated in rows.

A subsequent Chinese‑language statement said he believed that 'more children bring more blessings' and wanted his actions to benefit China's long‑term development.

Judy said she had asked to meet the intended father at least five times without success. 'It leaves me wondering: do I even have a right to know?' she said.

Xu and his representatives did not respond to repeated requests for comment, while Patriot Conceptions declined the broadcaster's request for an interview.

Xu Bo Case Adds To Questions Over Surrogate Protections

The wider investigation involved interviews with 32 surrogates and a review of contracts and court documents.

Women interviewed said they were not always told when intended parents were using several surrogates simultaneously. Some said they met the people taking custody of the child only at delivery, or not at all.

Andrea, an undocumented immigrant from Honduras living in California, said she agreed to carry a baby after a video call with a young couple. When she gave birth in October 2024, she said an older couple she had never met arrived at the hospital and took the newborn.

Another surrogate, Mayra Arley Hernandez, said she carried twins for the same couple and did not know they were also working with other women.

Creating Your Dreams Surrogacy founder Carla Maeda disputed the description of events, saying her agency conducts match calls, introduces surrogates to intended parents and maintains communication through pregnancy and delivery.

The investigation also examined Silvia Zhang and Guojun Xuan, an Arcadia, California, couple who were arrested in May 2025 on suspicion of felony child endangerment and neglect. Prosecutors later deferred filing charges while the investigation continued.

Authorities took 21 children into protective custody, including 15 found at the Arcadia home and six who were living elsewhere. At least five more children born through surrogacy arrived after the arrests and were placed in care in other states. Zhang and Xuan have denied wrongdoing in court filings.

Xu Bo Report Draws Attention To Uneven US Rules

Attorney Melissa Brisman, who has represented surrogates and intended parents, said that there are no laws governing how many surrogates one set of intended parents may use at the same time. She also said most states do not require intended parents to undergo criminal background checks.

New York is the only state cited in the investigation as requiring surrogacy agencies to be licensed. California, meanwhile, was described as a major destination for the practice. All 32 surrogates interviewed by CBS News had embryo transfers in California, even when they lived elsewhere.

There is no official US tally of surrogacy births, although people working in the field estimated up to about 10,000 each year.

For Judy, the unanswered issue is disclosure. She said the agency should have been transparent before matching her, including about who the intended parent was and the family circumstances behind the agreement. Her repeated requests to meet Xu, she said, have gone unanswered.

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