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Ammon News - OpenAI has announced its acquisition of the Chat.com domain in a highly anticipated deal, with the new link redirecting users to ChatGPT, the company’s intelligent chatbot. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman made waves by posting the link to the domain on his X account.

The domain was previously owned by entrepreneur Dharmesh Shah, the co-founder of HubSpot, who bought it in early 2023 for $10 million. Several months later, Shah sold the domain for more than he paid, without disclosing the details. Shah had commented upon acquiring the domain, saying, “I see chat-based user interfaces as the future of software, thanks to the rise of generative AI.”

Prior to the sale, the domain was temporarily directed to Shah’s LinkedIn account. Domain Name Wire noted that Shah may have quickly sold the domain to a buyer who had prior interest. NameBio data shows the domain was sold in March 2023 for $15.5 million, coinciding with Shah’s announcement of the sale two months after he acquired it.

OpenAI confirmed the acquisition of the domain to TechCrunch , and it’s part of the company’s efforts to rebuild its identity. In September, it launched a new model series called “o1,” aiming to provide “more balanced” names that clearly reflect its work. However, OpenAI didn’t host ChatGPT directly on the Chat.com domain, which remained a redirection domain.

Investing in premium domains is common; AI company Friend, for example, purchased Friend.com for $1.8 million. For OpenAI, buying a multi-million-dollar domain is a small expense, especially after a recent $6.6 billion funding round.