A prominent online influencer and CEO of a cosmetics brand in China has captivated her 9 million followers on Douyin with her decision to have four children using donor sperm from the United States. Ye Haiyang, 36, hails from a working-class family in Jilin province. At 22, she founded her Shenzhen-based makeup company, DC Expert.
After establishing her company factory in 2015, Ye, a single and successful entrepreneur, pondered the purpose of her hard work and financial success. She concluded that having a child was the answer, but she chose an unconventional route. Instead of marrying, Ye decided to buy “high-quality” sperm from a U.S. bank. She selected a donor with mixed heritage, excellent health, physical strength, and an Ivy League degree. Ye spent 500,000 yuan (US$69,000) to give birth to her first daughter, Doris, in the U.S. in 2017.
In 2021, she traveled to Russia for another IVF procedure using the same donor’s sperm, resulting in the birth of her second daughter, Hatti, in 2022. On June 20, Ye announced on her Douyin account that she had recently given birth to twin sons, Owen and Olsen, also using the same donor’s sperm. Ye expressed her joy, saying she now has the family she dreamed of during her teenage years.
Initially, Ye faced skepticism when she had Doris, but as a mother of four, she has garnered more support. Many followers admire her, with one commenting, “You have daughters and sons, money, and no husband or annoying mother-in-law. So happy.”
China has been relaxing its birth registration policy since last year. For instance, Sichuan province officially published new regulations in February, allowing children born out of wedlock to be registered under one parent’s hukou, granting access to basic social benefits such as education and medical care. Some single individuals from other provinces have also managed to register their babies.
Chinese law does not grant single women access to domestic sperm banks, prompting some to seek donors abroad. In one of her videos, Ye explained that she did not want to marry simply because society believes children need a father. She confidently stated that she can fulfill both parental roles: “I can be their hero,” she said.
Regarding her choice to have four children, Ye said, “People say your love for each kid will reduce when you have more, but my love for them only multiplied.” She added that her mother has been fully supportive of her decision to raise children on her own.
READ MORE: