On November 7, 2026, Dutch public broadcaster NOS Nieuwsuur reported that a 44-year-old mass sperm donor identified only as "Simon" has signed a contract barring him from donating any more sperm. By his own count he has fathered at least 199 children: 172 in the Netherlands, 15 in Germany, 11 in Belgium and one in another European country. The agreement is with Stichting Donorkind, a foundation that represents parents and donor-conceived children affected by mass donation. It requires him to have any sperm still stored at clinics destroyed and bans him from telling prospective parents he is available. Violations carry financial penalties, and the foundation is keeping the amount confidential.

Why It Matters

The Netherlands has some of Europe's strictest **clinic** donor rules, and this case shows how easily they are bypassed when matching moves online. Private donor matching through forums, social media and dedicated apps is effectively unregulated, with no central register, no family cap and no verification of what donors tell parents. A civil contract drafted by a parents' foundation is now filling the gap the law leaves. For the fertility-tech sector (donor-matching platforms, at-home insemination kit sellers, DTC genetic-testing firms), this is the regulatory risk to watch. Each new case strengthens the argument for **cross-border donor registries**, family caps that cover private donation, and possibly obligations on platforms that connect donors with recipients. Consumer DNA testing is also making these cases far more likely to surface: half-siblings are finding each other, and large families of half-siblings carry a real risk of unknowing consanguinity.

NOS says Simon donated through several sperm banks but worked mostly outside clinics, approaching hopeful mothers online and sending some of them sexually tinged messages. He repeatedly understated how many children he had. Earlier estimates put the number around 121 until he admitted in August to at least 199, according to NL Times. Dutch rules cap clinic donations at 12 families per donor, but private donation outside clinics is not illegal. Foundation lawyer Mark de Hek said the contract is modelled on the court ruling against Jonathan Meijer, the donor said to have fathered at least 550 children, but is stricter. Simon may donate again only to a mother who already has his child and previously agreed in writing that he could be the donor for a sibling. In those cases he must report the new child's province, sex and birth year to Donorkind.

The contract doesn't settle compensation. De Hek said the foundation will first consult the affected mothers to establish their damages, then ask Simon to take responsibility, and go to court if he refuses. In a statement to Nieuwsuur, Simon said he had "voluntarily" made the agreement to address parents' concerns and uncertainty about the scale of his donations.

Sources

Update — 2026-11-09

Initial entry — story first created.