A California surrogate says she only discovered who she was carrying a baby for after CBS News reporters connected her pregnancy to Chinese gaming entrepreneur Xu Bo. Identified as Judy to protect her privacy, she said the agency had presented her with a very different picture of the intended father.
The revelation came as Xu's family life faced growing scrutiny, with his former partner Tang Jing alleging that he has as many as 300 children. That figure remains disputed, however, as Xu's company has said he has custody of 12 children born through US surrogacy.
Judy Thought She Was Carrying for a Single Father
Judy told CBS News she entered the surrogacy arrangement after seeing an Instagram advert offering £88,839 ($120,000). As a single mother raising a seven-year-old, she said the payment seemed like an opportunity to improve her finances and move into a home of her own.
A surrogate, believing she was carrying a child for a single father, is actually having a baby for a Chinese billionaire who allegedly has more than 100 kids. CBS News broke the news to her.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 13, 2026
Leaked documents obtained by CBS News named the intended father as Xu Bo, a Chinese… pic.twitter.com/SenTHF7afa
According to Judy's account, the agency described the intended parent as a single father who wanted to expand his family. She later questioned whether other women were carrying babies for the same man and said she was told there could be nearly two dozen.
Reporters Revealed the Intended Father
The revelation came when Judy said CBS News reporters connected her pregnancy to Xu after examining leaked documents. CBS's investigation examined concerns surrounding transparency and safeguards in the US surrogacy industry, including Judy's experience and the experiences of other surrogates.
Judy said she felt blindsided by what she learned and questioned why the agency had not disclosed the intended father's identity earlier. She also told CBS that she had repeatedly tried to meet the man for whom she was carrying the baby, but said those meetings never happened.
Xu Bo's Family Size Is Disputed
Xu Bo, founder of Chinese gaming company Duoyi Network, has been the subject of reporting about his extensive use of US surrogacy arrangements. The Wall Street Journal reported that Xu had more than 100 children born through surrogacy in the US, while his former partner Tang Jing has alleged that he has as many as 300 children.
The figures remain disputed, with different accounts offering different numbers and definitions. Duoyi Network has disputed parts of the reporting, including the 300 figure, while acknowledging that Xu has more than 100 children overall, and the company has also disputed the reported number of US-born children, saying only 12 were born through US surrogacy.
His Family Plans Drew Scrutiny
The Wall Street Journal has reported on Xu's efforts to have multiple children through US surrogacy arrangements, including court proceedings involving petitions for parental rights over unborn children. Its investigation reported that a California judge encountered applications involving several unborn children while Xu had already fathered, or was in the process of fathering, others through surrogacy.
The Journal also reported that Xu had discussed wanting US-born children who could eventually take over his business. That reported ambition should remain attributed to the Journal's reporting rather than being presented as an independently established plan, particularly given the competing accounts surrounding Xu's family.
Judy Says She Felt Trapped by the Agreement
Despite her concerns, Judy said she continued with the pregnancy after signing the agreement because she needed the income. She also said friends and relatives encouraged her to continue, leaving her to weigh her concerns against the financial circumstances that had originally led her to become a surrogate.
Her concerns, as described in the CBS investigation, centred on transparency surrounding the arrangement. Judy said she believed she should have received clearer information about the intended father's identity and family circumstances before committing to the pregnancy.
Online Reactions Have Added to the Debate
The revelations have prompted strong reactions online, although those comments are individual opinions rather than verified findings about Xu or his arrangements. Some social-media users have criticised the reported scale of the surrogacy arrangements, while others have called for greater transparency and tighter safeguards for commercial surrogacy.
Those reactions do not establish that Xu violated US law or deliberately exploited the legal system. The reporting instead centres on Judy's account, documents linking Xu to the pregnancy, disputed claims about the number of children attributed to him, and broader questions about transparency and protections for surrogates.
