Chat.com acquisition
OpenAI has made a significant move by acquiring Chat.com, one of the internet’s oldest and most recognizable domains, originally registered in 1996. Starting today, anyone who types in Chat.com will be redirected to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular AI chatbot. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, hinted at the acquisition with a simple tweet that read “Chat.com,” adding a sense of intrigue to the announcement. An OpenAI spokesperson later confirmed the purchase in an email to TechCrunch but did not disclose the price. This acquisition is a valuable addition to OpenAI’s efforts to make AI more accessible and recognizable.
Chat.com has been a well-known name online since it was first registered in September 1996. Its value and popularity have increased significantly over the years, largely due to the high demand for the “Chat” keyword in the tech industry. Last year, Dharmesh Shah, the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, made headlines when he purchased Chat.com for an impressive $15.5 million. This sale is considered one of history’s largest publicly reported domain transactions.
Shah hinted in March that he had sold the domain to an unnamed buyer, which led to speculation. Today, he confirmed the identity of the buyer in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that OpenAI had acquired Chat.com. Shah also suggested that he received shares in OpenAI as part of the deal, although the details are not fully disclosed.
Interestingly, Chat.com’s redirection to ChatGPT does not indicate a significant brand shift for OpenAI. Instead, the domain serves to direct users to the chatbot without establishing Chat.com as an independent brand. OpenAI appears to be focusing on expanding access to ChatGPT rather than creating a new entity under Chat.com. Given the domain’s value and branding potential, this strategy could enhance recognition and attract a larger, tech-savvy audience.
This acquisition highlights OpenAI’s commitment to establishing itself as a leader in AI-powered communications. As ChatGPT becomes increasingly popular, adding a high-profile domain could represent a significant change in how users interact with AI.
Currently, OpenAI has not disclosed details about the acquisition, leading industry experts to speculate on how Chat.com will impact the AI landscape in the future.