“Secret Acquirer” of Domain Chat.com Revealed, New Owner Is OpenAI

Founder and CTO at HubSpot, Dharmesh Shah recently disclosed the “secret acquirer” of the $15+ million domain chat .com. Incidentally, Chat.com has a long history online, having been registered in 1996. The domain's value has only increased over the years, with the keyword "Chat" being highly sought after in the tech sector.

Last year, the domain gained attention when it was sold for an impressive $15.5 million to Dharmesh Shah. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, hinted at the acquisition of Chat.com with a cryptic tweet that sparked speculation among tech enthusiasts. The news was later confirmed by an OpenAI spokesperson in an email to TechCrunch. While the exact cost of the purchase remains undisclosed, it's clear that acquiring Chat.com is a significant investment for OpenAI.

And now that Shah has revealed the “secret acquirer” of the domain on social media, the redirection of Chat.com to ChatGPT signals OpenAI's focus on expanding the accessibility of its AI chatbot, rather than rebranding under the Chat.com name.

Shah's post reveals the acquirer

The founder of HubSpot wrote, “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" (which was later reported as being $15.5M).

I also shared that I had sold the domain to an undisclosed buyer.

I was not at liberty to share who the acquirer was (I was going to leave that to them, when they were ready).

Well, in an 8 character tweet (talk about brevity), Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI revealed that they were the buyer. If you visit the website now, it goes to ChatGPT.”

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

With Chat.com being one of the internet's most recognized domains, the move brings a valuable asset under OpenAI's umbrella. This acquisition not only enhances OpenAI's brand recognition but also positions ChatGPT as a leading AI chatbot in the industry.

Probably, by leveraging the reputation and popularity of Chat.com, OpenAI is aiming to solidify its position as a frontrunner in AI-powered communications.

You can read Dharmesh Shah's LinkedIn post here. 

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