Did OpenAI Spend Over $10 Million on a URL?

OpenAI Acquires Chat.com Domain for $15.5 Million

On Wednesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman posted a simple URL on X: chat.com. It automatically routes to ChatGPT.

A Brief History of the Domain

Previously, the domain was owned by Dharmesh Shah, the founder and CTO of HubSpot. In early 2023, Shah purchased chat.com for $15.5 million. However, just a few months later, he announced that he had sold the domain, though he wouldn’t disclose the details of the sale or the buyer. Notably, he did confirm that he sold the domain for more than he had originally paid for it.

Shah’s Vision for Chat-Based UX

“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,” Shah wrote in a LinkedIn post announcing the purchase, which chat.com briefly redirected to before he resold it.

OpenAI’s Acquisition of the Domain

After the publication of this article, Shah confirmed in a post on X that OpenAI did purchase the domain from him and implied that the startup paid him in shares instead of cash.

The Drop of “GPT” from the Domain

The drop of “GPT” from the chat.com domain aligns with OpenAI’s recent rebranding efforts.

OpenAI’s Rebranding Efforts

In September, the company announced a new series of reasoning models starting with “o1.” At the time, former chief research officer Bob McGrew told The Verge he hoped that the o1 series would mark “the first step of newer, more sane names” to better communicate the company’s work.

A Tale of Vanity Domains

People hoarding “vanity domains” is a tale as old as the Internet itself. Just a few months ago, AI startup Friend spent $1.8 million on the domain friend.com after raising $2.5 million in funding. Having just raised $6.6 billion, OpenAI dropping more than $10 million —in cash or stock — is just a drop in the bucket.

Conclusion

The acquisition of chat.com by OpenAI is a significant move in the company’s rebranding efforts and its focus on chat-based UX. The domain’s history and Shah’s vision for the future of software communication are a testament to the growing importance of natural language interfaces.

FAQs

Q: Who purchased the chat.com domain?
A: Dharmesh Shah, the founder and CTO of HubSpot, purchased the domain in early 2023 for $15.5 million.

Q: Who sold the chat.com domain to OpenAI?
A: Dharmesh Shah sold the domain to OpenAI, although the terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Q: What did OpenAI pay for the domain?
A: OpenAI paid Shah in shares instead of cash, according to Shah’s post on X.

Q: Why did OpenAI acquire the domain?
A: The acquisition aligns with OpenAI’s recent rebranding efforts and its focus on chat-based UX.

Q: What is the significance of the domain’s name change?
A: The drop of “GPT” from the chat.com domain reflects OpenAI’s rebranding efforts and its shift towards more intuitive and natural language interfaces.