OpenAI has made a strategic acquisition of the premium domain Chat.com, now redirecting users directly to its AI chatbot, ChatGPT. This move highlights OpenAI’s commitment to expanding its accessibility and reach, leveraging one of the most valuable domains in the tech space. A spokesperson from OpenAI recently confirmed the purchase, though the company has yet to disclose the cost of this high-profile acquisition.
Originally registered in 1996, Chat.com was last bought in 2022 by Dharmesh Shah, co-founder of HubSpot, who acquired the domain for a remarkable $15.5 million. This purchase made Chat.com one of the priciest domain sales in recent history. Recently, Shah confirmed that he had sold the domain to OpenAI, noting that he likely received shares in the transaction, though specific financial details were not disclosed.
While OpenAI now owns Chat.com, it has chosen not to rebrand ChatGPT under the new domain name. Instead, the acquisition appears to be geared towards redirecting traffic from Chat.com to the ChatGPT website, potentially enhancing user accessibility and brand visibility without a full rebranding. This strategic move aligns with OpenAI’s focus on strengthening ChatGPT’s presence while maintaining the widely recognized ChatGPT name.
The acquisition of Chat.com marks another step in OpenAI’s growth as it continues to enhance its product offerings and improve accessibility for its users. Redirecting traffic from such a memorable, high-value domain underscores OpenAI’s commitment to establishing ChatGPT as a leading AI chatbot.
