The oldest man to father a child is reportedly Ramjit Raghav of India, who had his second son at the age of 96 in 2012, breaking his own previous record from 2010 at age 94, though Les Colley of Australia holds the Guinness World Record for the oldest father at 92 years and 10 months for his ninth child, according to some sources,.
The oldest ever man to father a child was reportedly Les Colley (1898 - 1998, Australia), who had his ninth child a son named Oswald to his third wife at the age of 92 years 10 months.
Les Colley – 92 Years Old
In 1992, he became the world's oldest confirmed father at 92 and welcomed his ninth child, Oswald, with a Fijian woman named Patty. He met her through a dating agency. Les swore off alcohol for his whole life and died in 1998, just four months shy of 100.
Levin, an anti-aging medicine specialist from Melbourne, welcomed a baby boy with his 37-year-old wife, Dr. Yanying Lu, in February 2024. The couple, who have been together for over a decade, first married when Levin was in his early eighties.
In contrast, men generally retain the ability to generate a limitless number of sperm over their lifetime, and seemingly have no age-related time limit on reproductive potential. Indeed, clinical cases of older men even above 90 years of age fathering biological children have been reported (2).
John Levin: 93-year-old doctor dubbed 'Australia's oldest dad' reveals he wants more children.
In contrast, men generally retain the ability to generate a limitless number of sperm over their lifetime, and seemingly have no age-related time limit on reproductive potential. Indeed, clinical cases of older men even above 90 years of age fathering biological children have been reported (2).
Genghis Khan – 3,000 children
Modern studies have suggested that today around 16 million people globally may carry the DNA of Genghis Khan. This is because the warlord is believed to have fathered at least 1,000 children, with some modern experts estimating that his offspring might have totalled a jaw-dropping 3,000.
Although most men are able to have children well into their 50s and beyond, it becomes gradually more difficult after the age of 40 . There are many reasons for this, including: Sperm quality tends to decrease with age.
The word “lithopedion” (from the Greek lithos meaning stone, plus paidion, meaning child) describes a dead extrauterine fetus that has become calcified. Most cases (as in our case) have been discovered incidentally at the time of surgery, necropsy or roentgenograms of the abdomen or pelvis.
Celebrities who had children over 50
Janet Jackson (50): The pop icon surprised fans in 2017 when she welcomed her first child, son Eissa Al Mana, at the age of 50. Michelle Pfeiffer (50): The ageless beauty adopted her son John Henry with her husband David E. Kelley in 1993 when she was 50.
Al Pacino is officially a dad of four! The 84-year-old actor welcomed a baby boy, Roman Pacino, with his former girlfriend, Noor Alfallah, then 29, in June 2023.
Though women's natural fertility ends with menopause, giving us a defined period of time to study, men continue to produce sperm until the very end of their lives, making pregnancy possible from the sperm of 50-year-olds (and 80-year-olds).
Pros and cons of becoming a dad at age 50. There are benefits to becoming a dad after 50. Older dads are typically more well established financially, have stable careers and family lives, and are more emotionally mature. The cons of being an older dad are primarily attributed to declining fertility.
Oldest fathers: medical considerations
The website of Guinness World Records lists the oldest father ever as Australian Les Colley (1898–1998), who allegedly fathered his ninth child at age 92 with a Fijian woman he met through a dating agency.
Biologically, a male can potentially impregnate a female once he reaches puberty. Puberty usually starts between ages 9 and 14 and involves the production of sperm capable of fertilizing an egg.
Infants born to older fathers were found to be at higher risk of premature birth, late still birth, low Apgar scores, low birth weight, higher incidence of newborn seizures and birth defects such as congenital heart disease and cleft palate.
Men can produce sperm throughout their lives, so there is no “male menopause” when men can't have children any longer. But that said, studies have shown that male fertility does decline with age. If a man is over age 45, it can take five times longer for he and his partner to conceive than if he was aged 25 or under.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov told French media earlier this year that he has more than 100 kids around the world, mostly from babies conceived through his sperm donations. In a recent interview with Wall Street Journal, Durov said he is offering to pay for the IVF costs for any women under 38 who want to use his sperm.
The maximum number of kids a woman can give birth to 15 to 30 children. Women can reproduce for approximately half of their lifetime and can only give birth around every year. One study assessed that a woman could have around 15 pregnancies in a lifespan. The utmost children born to any woman in recorded history is 69.
Pavel Durov, 41, has offered to cover the full cost of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment for women under 37 who want to conceive using his sperm. The tech entrepreneur claims to have already fathered at least 100 kids through sperm donation, in addition to six tots from three different partners.
The volume of your semen can change for a variety of reasons — if you haven't ejaculated for a few days you'll probably produce more semen and certain medications can make you produce less.
Males start producing sperm around puberty — usually between 10 and 12 years old.