A sperm donor who has fathered 78 children and currently has 13 women pregnant has explained that he just ‘can’t say no.’
New York college professor Ari Nagel, 44 – also known as The Sperminator – was asked on today’s episode of The Dr. Oz Show about his motivation for helping women have babies, and whether ‘narcissism’ plays a role.
“No. Maybe I’m not good at saying no,’ Ari replied. “I would describe myself that way, but definitely not. I have a great life, even if I struggle financially. I get lots of hugs and kisses every single day.”
Ari – who doesn’t charge for his services – continued: “I think the motivation of why I help these women, in some ways, why does anyone have kids? I think in some ways I’m getting a lot of the joy and love that a lot of other parents experience.”
Ari previously revealed he used to conceive ‘the old-fashioned way’ and would have sex with the women to help them conceive. However, since learning of other ways to conceive, he now delivers his sperm in a ‘cup’ so that he is able to protect himself and the other women he’d be helping that month.
During today’s show, he explained why he began donating so frequently – when many men haven’t thought of doing it once, let alone 77 times. “I have two 12-year-old kids and I think it’s quite indicative of maybe the women that you have here on the show today,” explained Ari.
“One was a lesbian couple and they needed help, obviously, to grow their family, and then the other one was a single woman who wasn’t meeting Mr Right. she was in her 40s and she needed help and she couldn’t wait any longer to meet somebody.”
“Then you asked me why I’m helping them. It’s brought me a lot of joy seeing how happy the kids are, how happy the mums are, and seeing all these beautiful families that I was able to help grow.” Though many sperm donors never meet the children they father or might have limited contact with them, Ari has previously said that he has relationships with several of his kids.
Speaking to Dr. Oz, Ari also discussed his experience with the State Department of Health and defended his right to continue donating sperm. “Well, they wrote me that letter, certified, it went to my work,” he said.
“I think they just read an article in the New York Post and they said, “What’s going on here? He needs to apply to be a licensed clinic,” and that I need to stop advertising my services. ‘But in the end, I think when I clarified what I’m actually doing, it’s ultimately an infringement on every man’s right, I think, to have a child.’ ‘I think that they did back down, they said they reserve the right to pursue legal action in the future, but for now, I can continue doing what I’m doing, because of course, I’m not operating a licensed sperm bank.
Earlier this year, Ari appeared on Claire Bryne Live in the UK to discuss his sperm donor habit. “I’ve never charged any of the women for helping them grow their families. Of course, I do get paid with lots of hugs and kisses and a lifetime of appreciation,’ he said. ‘I get a lot of joy of being a father to so many kids. Some of them I see every day, some of them I’ve never met. It’s up to the family.”
Though many of the women he helps are based in the US, which ‘make it much easier,’ others are abroad and require some travel. “I went to Africa twice last month to try and meet women to help them conceive.
“The month before that I was in Barbados and then Georgia, the country, not the state,” he said in May. “The month before that I went to Russia, so sometimes travel is involved but the vast majority of the time they are within the US.”
He went on to explain that the 13 women who are currently pregnant by him all received his sperm in a cup and artificially inseminated themselves – but occasionally, when the women are older, they may go to a clinic.
However, he added: “Around a dozen of my children were conceived the old-fashioned way. Early on when I didn’t really know of another way to conceive that was the way I was going about it.
“But of course, now that I’m helping more than one woman in a month it’s very difficult to have unprotected sex while still being able to protect myself and the other women I’d be helping that month. Ari currently appears to be single, and his dating profiles state that he is a 6ft 3in Jewish man with a graduate degree who never smokes but sometimes drinks alcohol and works out.”