OpenAI Acquires Chat.com Domain for $15.5 Million

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has made headlines with its recent acquisition of the premium domain chat.com for $15.5 million, marking one of the year’s largest domain sales.

The domain, originally registered in 1996, was previously owned by HubSpot’s CTO, Dharmesh Shah, who purchased it for $10 million in early 2023. Now under OpenAI’s ownership, the acquisition is seen as a strategic move to strengthen its footprint in the chatbot and artificial intelligence space.

News of the purchase surfaced when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman shared the chat.com link on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), sparking immediate attention from both users and media. Dharmesh Shah, who previously described chat interfaces as pivotal to tech’s future, ultimately sold chat.com at a substantial profit just months after his initial purchase.

According to NameBio’s database, the deal took place in March 2023, but details remained under wraps until recently. Currently, chat.com redirects visitors to ChatGPT’s main website, although OpenAI has yet to rebrand the product, leaving questions about the company’s long-term branding strategy.

Industry experts view this acquisition as a strong signal of OpenAI’s commitment to expanding its influence in AI and chatbot technologies, especially as the company continues to secure significant funding and investments.