Man With 86 Kids and More on the Way
Is this 63-year-old from the UAE patriarch of the biggest family in the world?
March 9, 2009 — -- Daad Abdul Rahamn may be the patriarch of the largest family in the world.
Rahamn, who says he's 63 years old, claims he has fathered 86 children.
His various families live in different houses surrounding Dubai, United Arab Emirates, though he won't say exactly how many homes he has.
As Rahamn sees it, his Muslim religion encourages big families and he is extremely devout.
Click here to meet the world's biggest family.
Rahamn says he was first married in the late 1960s, and he's been getting married and making babies ever since. Thanks to his procreation skills, he has won the approval of the local sheikh, who helps the businessman finance the family.
Although officially he can only have four wives at a time, Rahamn says he has had 17 and is looking for more.
His secret, he said, is "big power."
Muslim tradition dictates that all wives and children be treated equally, so Rahamn tries to split his time between all his families.
His children say they enjoy being part of an enormous family.
"Basically I'm proud to be a member of this family because people are respecting us because of my dad. And we can make a team for football or cricket, no problem," said son Rashid.
Rahamn's kids range from 23 years old to 3 months, and he has two babies on the way. Most go to school together and all have a ready-made gang of playmates.
Rahamn says there have been no serious illnesses in his family, but two children have been lost to accidents.
For his part, Rahamn appears blissfully unaffected by any hubbub that has surrounded him and his family -- probably because the women do the lion's share of the housework.
While many have criticized Rahamn's polygamous life, his wives say they support him and one another.
His oldest wife, 50-year-old Miriam, sat beside Rahamn's newest bride, who is 20, and said all of them work together.
"I think of all the children as my own," Miriam said.
Find out what's big about Dubai.
Paying the Kids to Go Away
Rahamn lost a leg in a car accident nine years ago, but that doesn't stop him from keeping tabs on his various households and growing family.
The challenge for him is not running the family, but "getting time alone with my wives. I give the kids money to leave the room," Rahamn said.
He added that he would like to have 100 kids by 2017, so it looks like he'll be shelling out more cash in the years to come.