Last November 6, 2024, OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman shared a web link, chat.com, on the platform X. The link now leads directly to ChatGPT.
Dharmesh Shah, the founder of HubSpot, originally bought the domain chat.com for $15.5 million in early 2023.
A few months later, he announced that he had sold it, though he didn’t share details about the buyer or the sale price. He confirmed that he had sold the domain for more than he had paid. It most likely sold for over $15 million. No exact price has been disclosed, but several sources report that it is going for the prince within this range.
Shah bought the domain because he believes that talking to computers through chat is the future of software. He wrote on LinkedIn that using natural language to communicate with technology is easier, thanks to advancements in Generative AI. For a short time, he linked the domain to his post before he resold the domain.
After the article, Shah confirmed on X that OpenAI bought the domain. He hinted that they may have paid him in shares instead of cash.
By switching to the domain without the word “GPT,” OpenAI continues its rebranding efforts. In September, OpenAI introduced a new line of “reasoning models” starting with “o1.” Their former research chief explained that they wanted simpler, clearer names.Buying expensive domains has been common since the Internet started. Recently, another AI company spent $1.8 million on friend.com. For OpenAI, which has raised $6.6 billion, spending over $10 million on a domain is just a small expense.
