In a move that’s been quietly brewing for months, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has revealed that his company is the new owner of the highly sought-after domain chat.com, which sold for an eye-watering $15.5 million.
This domain was previously owned by Dharmesh Shah, the co-founder of HubSpot, who initially bought it with big plans for chat-based software. On his LinkedIn page, Shah had hinted earlier this year that he purchased the domain for a “8 figure sum” and shared he would eventually sell it to the right buyer. However, he kept the buyer’s identity under wraps, until now.
In a quick, eight-character tweet, Altman confirmed that OpenAI was indeed the buyer. Now, when you visit chat.com, it directs you straight to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s flagship AI tool.
While the exact sale price wasn’t disclosed, Shah hinted in a playful, ChatGPT-style prompt that he might not have made a cash profit from the sale. Instead, he implied he took OpenAI shares as part of the deal. Shah, who’s known Altman for over a decade, explained he didn’t want to profit from a friend, and he has even expressed his love for OpenAI. He also made a cheeky note about how he’s now an investor in the company.
The acquisition of chat.com by OpenAI marks a milestone for both companies and sets the stage for the future of AI-driven chat services. Profit off a friend.
