In November 2024, OpenAI acquired Chat.com, which began redirecting to ChatGPT. The seller was HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah. TechCrunch and The Verge reported that Shah had bought the domain earlier for about $15.5 million. OpenAI's price was not disclosed, and Shah indicated he was paid at least partly in OpenAI shares.
The lesson
- Category-defining .com names are strategic assets even for companies that already have a famous brand.
- Deals can involve stock or other non-cash terms, which is one reason prices don't always appear on public charts.
Sources
Looking for the perfect name?
Browse premium domains with instant purchase, secure transfer and a money-back guarantee.
Browse domains →