Chat.com Acquired: Did OpenAI Overpay or Outsmart Everyone?

OpenAI has acquired the domain name Chat.com, adding it to its growing collection of valuable web addresses. As of today, Chat.com redirects to OpenAI’s popular chatbot, ChatGPT, signaling the company’s latest investment in the AI space. Chat.com, one of the oldest domains on the internet, was originally registered in 1996. Last year, it was bought by HubSpot co-founder Dharmesh Shah for a hefty $15.5 million, making it one of the highest publicly reported domain sales in history. In March, Shah revealed that he had sold the domain to an unnamed buyer. Today, Shah confirmed via a post on X that OpenAI was the buyer, hinting that the transaction might have been made using OpenAI shares.Despite the high-profile acquisition, there is no indication that OpenAI plans to change its branding or host ChatGPT on Chat.com. The domain has not been used for a new site yet. OpenAI has not disclosed the purchase price of the domain.