On Wednesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced the acquisition of the domain chat.com, which now redirects users to ChatGPT. This move marks a significant step in OpenAI’s efforts to streamline access to its popular AI chatbot.
The domain was previously owned by Dharmesh Shah, founder and CTO of HubSpot, who purchased it for $15.5 million in early 2023. Although Shah did not disclose the buyer or the final sale price when he announced the domain’s sale, he confirmed it was sold for a profit over his initial investment, according to The Verge.
In a LinkedIn post at the time of his purchase, Shah expressed his belief that chat-based user experiences (#ChatUX) represent a major shift in software interaction. He noted the intuitive nature of engaging with computers through natural language, a capability enhanced by generative AI. Initially, chat.com redirected visitors to this announcement before Shah resold the domain.
Shah later confirmed on X that OpenAI was the buyer and suggested he received shares in lieu of cash for the transaction.
The acquisition of chat.com aligns with OpenAI’s broader rebranding strategy. In September, the company introduced a new series of reasoning models starting with “o1,” aiming for clearer, more meaningful names to reflect its work, as former chief research officer Bob McGrew noted.
The trend of acquiring “vanity domains” has been prevalent in the tech industry. For instance, the AI startup Friend recently invested $1.8 million in friend.com after securing $2.5 million in funding. For OpenAI, which recently raised $6.6 billion, the investment in chat. com—whether in cash or stock—represents a relatively modest expenditure in its overall strategy.
