The short answer: Yes—a Chinese tech billionaire has acknowledged fathering “a little over 100” children, mostly via U.S. surrogates. No—the screaming headline about a “21-year-old Magdeburg attacker” pasted atop the story doesn’t match the facts.
Now for the part that reads like a sci‑fi plot: a court fight in Los Angeles, a plan to raise “50 high‑quality” sons, and a declared wish to marry his offspring into Elon Musk’s family. Here’s what’s true, what’s disputed, and what looks like clickbait.
Headline vs. reality: the Magdeburg distraction
- What happened: The original article repeats a breaking alert about a “21-year-old” arrested in Magdeburg for planning an attack—then switches to a story about a Chinese billionaire. These are unrelated.
- Verified case: The lethal Magdeburg Christmas market attack on Dec. 20, 2024 involved a 50‑year‑old suspect, not a 21‑year‑old. That case is established and in court. Source: AP coverage apnews.com
- New claim: Bild reports a separate arrest of a 21‑year‑old suspected of plotting an attack. As of now, there’s no corroboration from police or Germany’s public broadcasters. Treat as unverified. Source: bild.de
- Bottom line: The headline splices two stories. It’s misleading.
The billionaire and the babies: what’s confirmed
- Who: Xu Bo, late 40s, founder of gaming company Duoyi in China.
- How many children: Duoyi publicly acknowledged “a little over 100” children, mostly via U.S. surrogacy. This aligns with a Wall Street Journal investigation summarized by multiple outlets. Source roundup: livemint.com
- Why the U.S.: Commercial surrogacy is restricted or effectively banned in mainland China; U.S. states allow it under specific laws, so arrangements were routed through the U.S. Context: chinadaily.com.cn
- Court fight: In 2023, a Los Angeles judge denied Xu’s petitions to establish parental rights for multiple U.S.-born children after a confidential hearing. Reporting says he argued he needed (especially male) heirs to inherit the business. No confirmed successful appeal. Source: livemint.com
- Musk family plan: Xu promoted a vision of marrying his children into Elon Musk’s family—a claim reported as drawn from his social posts and widely cited from the WSJ investigation. Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
The most eye‑catching detail—and the correction
- The article says “plus at least 50 ‘high‑quality’ children in the U.S.” That misreads the reporting.
- Correction: Sources describe Xu’s goal of siring “at least 50 ‘high‑quality’ sons.” It’s an aspiration, not a separate, confirmed subtotal on top of the 100+. Treating it as “another 50” is double‑counting. Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Allegations vs. facts: where the evidence is thinner
- “He has 300+ children” — Claim by ex‑girlfriend Tang Jing, who says she raised 11 of them. Not independently verified. The company rejects “300” and says the real figure is just over 100. Sources: scmp.com, livemint.com
- “Children unregistered, denied school, abused daily” — Serious allegations reported as Tang’s claims and covered critically by Die Zeit; denied by Duoyi. No independent verification presented in accessible reporting. Source: zeit.de
- Antisemitic and anti‑women statements — The original article attributes specific quotes to “Die Zeit.” We could not find the exact lines in accessible Die Zeit reporting. Without a precise citation or primary post, these remain unverified. Source: zeit.de
Inside the U.S. case: what a judge heard
- In a remote hearing, Xu reportedly told the judge he sought many U.S.-born children—especially boys—to become heirs.
- The judge denied his petitions in 2023; public records of a successful appeal were not found by reporters. Some secondary write‑ups muddy this point, but the available evidence supports a denial, not a win. Source: livemint.com
How the story was checked
- We compared the article’s claims to: AP’s coverage of Magdeburg; WSJ summaries in reliable outlets; Die Zeit’s reporting; and regional coverage of Tang Jing’s allegations.
- Where primary documents (e.g., the LA court filings, original Weibo posts) weren’t publicly accessible, we relied on multiple credible summaries and flagged uncertainties.
What’s still unclear
- Whether authorities in Magdeburg confirm a new 21‑year‑old suspect case. We’re waiting for police or Interior Ministry statements. Reference: apnews.com, bild.de
- The exact wording and source of controversial statements attributed to Xu about Jews and women. Needs a primary link or precise Die Zeit citation.
- The full status of any appeals or new filings in California or other U.S. jurisdictions.
Key takeaways
- Boldly true: Xu Bo’s company admits “a little over 100” children via surrogacy, largely in the U.S. livemint.com
- Confirmed: A Los Angeles judge denied his petitions to be declared a legal parent to multiple children in 2023. livemint.com
- Supported by reporting: His public “vision” to link his family line with Elon Musk’s. timesofindia.indiatimes.com
- Needs salt: “300+ children,” alleged abuse, and specific incendiary quotes attributed to Xu remain claims without independent proof. scmp.com, zeit.de
- Misleading: The article’s “plus 50 high‑quality children” phrasing and the Magdeburg headline. One is a goal, not a count; the other is a different story. timesofindia.indiatimes.com, apnews.com
The bigger picture Beyond the shock value, this story lives where private wealth meets public policy: cross‑border surrogacy, the rights of children and surrogates, and the power of courts when parenthood is engineered at scale. The facts we can verify are already extraordinary. The rest deserves careful, document‑based reporting—not headlines stitched together for clicks.