A Wall Street Journal report revealed that Chinese billionaires are turning to U.S-based surrogates to have children, raising questions about citizenship, and the surrogacy industry.

Clerks working for family court Judge Amy Pellman were reviewing routine surrogacy petitions when they spotted an unusual pattern: the same name, again and again. A Chinese billionaire was seeking parental rights to at least four unborn children, and the court’s additional research showed that he had already fathered or was in the process of fathering at least eight more—all through surrogates.

When called in for a confidential hearing, the billionaire, Xu Bo, who is a maker of fantasy video games never entered the courtroom. Xu, who lived in China, appeared via video. He said he hoped to have 20 or so U.S.-born children through surrogacy—boys, because they’re superior to girls—to one day take over his business.

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Xu mentioned that several of his kids were being raised in nearby Irvine, as they await paperwork to travel to China. He hadn’t yet met them, he told the judge, because work had been busy. This alarmed Pellman, with people saying what Xu was describing didn’t seem like parenting.

The judge denied Xu’s request for parentage, which is normally quickly approved for the intended parents of a baby born through surrogacy, according to experts. This decision left the children in legal limbo. A representative of Xu’s company Duoyi Network, told WSJ in an email that “much of what you described is untrue.”

This case highlights a growing trend of Chinese elites using U.S. surrogates to expand their family. Some wealthy Chinese parents reportedly spend millions on U.S.-based surrogates to create large families.

Nathan Zhang, CEO of IVF USA, said that while earlier clients sought to bypass China’s one-child policy, new wealthier parents now aim to commission dozens, or even hundreds, of U.S.-born children with the goal of “forging an unstoppable family dynasty.”

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Zhang added that Elon Musk is seen as a “role model now,” referencing the Tesla CEO’s 14 known children. Sichuan executive Wang Huiwu, reportedly hired U.S. models and other egg donors to have 10 daughters, with the goal of arranging strategic marriages in the future. The practice has been criticized in China, where surrogacy is banned domestically.

According to WSJ, experts say the surrogacy market has become highly sophisticated. Clinics, agencies, legal firms and nanny services in the U.S. facilitate the process, sometimes enabling parents to receive children without ever entering the country, at a cost of up to $200,000 per child. The issue also involves U.S. citizenship laws, as children born on American soil automatically gain citizenship under the 14th Amendment.

Tang Jing, Xu’s ex-girlfriend, alleged that he has 300 children living across multiple countries. Duoyi Network responded that the figure was exaggerated, stating that Xu has “only a little over 100” children born through surrogacy in the United States. These cases highlight complex social, ethical, and social issues with surrogacy.