The Man with 1000 Kids

You Can’t Make This Up

Would-be mothers in The Netherlands selected Jonathan Jacob Meijer to be their online sperm donor - a well-spoken, well-traveled gent with luxurious hair and a desire to help women conceive. But the parents were shocked to learn Meijer had gone far beyond the largely voluntary guidelines for sperm donation, having fathered hundreds of children in their country…and beyond. With no laws to stop him, Meijer remained defiant, vowing to continue donating sperm around the world.

The Netflix documentary series The Man with 1000 Kids spans the globe, following Meijer and the parents who felt duped by him. It explores the frightening implications for the children and the larger population, and examines a reproductive health industry built without guardrails. It also attempts to answer what would drive a man to extremes to create a world in his own image.

In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Natalie Hill.

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched The Man with 1000 Kids yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on.

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