The famous AI startup OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has acquired the domain name Chat.com for an undisclosed amount.
The strategic move should be pricey, and because it involves a world-class company with huge backers, the acquisition should have a bigger motive behind it.
Just like how OpenAI also owns the domain name AI.com, it's now the proud owner of Chat.com
Sam Altman, the CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, reveals this in a post on X:
— Sam Altman (@sama) November 6, 2024
The domain Chat.com is one of the older domains on the web, having been registered in September 1996.
Then, in 2023, it was reported that HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah personally acquired the domain for an eyewatering $15.5 million, making it one of the top two all-time publicly reported domain sales.
"The reason I bought chat.com is simple: I think Chat-based UX (#ChatUX) is the next big thing in software. Communicating with computers/software through a natural language interface is much more intuitive. This is made possible by Generative A.I.," he said in a post on LinkedIn.
Back in May, Shah seemingly had a change of mind, when he disclosed that he sold Chat.com to an unnamed buyer, saying that "I have sold it for more than I paid."
Commenting to Altman's post on X, Shah said that:
BREAKING NEWS: Secret acquirer of $15+ million domain chat .com revealed and it's exactly who you'd think.
For those of you that have been following me for a while, you may recall that I announced earlier this year that I had acquired the domain chat .com for an "8 figure sum"… https://t.co/nv1IyddP5z— dharmesh (@dharmesh) November 6, 2024
Neither Shah or Altman, or OpenAI has disclosed the price for the domain.
But for what it's worth, Shah said that he initially bought the domain Chat.com for a project, and that he doesn't usually sell domains after he bought them.
This time, he thinks that OpenAI "was the perfect home for this domain, do he decided to sell it."
Because he knows Altman way before OpenAI was founded, even through he doesn't like profiting off of people he considers friends, it's suggested that Shah receives shares of OpenAI instead of money.
After all, Shah mentioned that he doesn't need the cash from a domain sale, because "he's doing OK."
There are lots of reasons why companies buy domain names
From brand protection to prevent competitors or unauthorized entities from purchasing domain names that could be confused with their own brand, companies also buy domain names they think can represent themselves to enhance their SEO strategies and marketing campaigns, as well as to redirect traffic.
This also mean that buying domains allow them for better international expansion.
In other cases, companies may also buy more domain than they have to, in order to protect typos. Some companies buy domains that are common misspellings or variations of their main site to avoid losing potential customers who mistype the URL.
Lastly, companies can also buy domain names to secure their future investments, and if they relate to acquisitions or partnerships to maintain a consistent online presence across different parts of their business.
Among the aforementioned reasons, OpenAI quickly make a redirection to the domain, making visitors to to go straight to the
Due to the reasons mentioned, OpenAI has set up a quick redirection, directing visitors from Chat.com straight to ChatGPT.com.
