Last Update:07 November 2024 21:01 IST

The domain is now automatically forwarded to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular chatbot

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (right) and HubSpot co-founder and CTO Dharmesh Shah (left). (Photos via AP/X)

Indian-origin entrepreneur Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, sold the chat.com domain to OpenAI for over $15 million. The domain is now automatically forwarded to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular chatbot.

Shah made the announcement in response to a post by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announcing the acquisition on Wednesday. Altman’s post said “chat.com,” which now automatically redirects to ChatGPT.

Confirming the sale in his response to Altman’s post, Shah explained that he sold the domain name to OpenAI for a higher price than the amount he originally paid, but did not disclose the exact figure.

Shah shared his excitement about the sale on For those of you who have been following me for a while, you may remember that earlier this year I announced that I had purchased the chat .com domain name for an “8-figure sum” (later reported as $15.5 million).

He continued: “I also shared that I sold the domain name to an unnamed buyer. I wasn’t at liberty to share who the purchaser was (I’d leave that to them when they were ready). OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explained in an 8-character tweet (talk about brevity) that they were the buyer. If you visit the website now, it goes to ChatGPT.”

According to a report prepared by thresholdShah acquired chat.com for $15.5 million in 2023, believing that chat-based user experience (ChatUX) will be the next big trend in software. It had originally purchased the domain with the aim of tapping into the growing potential of natural language interactions powered by generative AI.

“The reason I bought Chat.com is simple: I think Chat-based UX (#ChatUX) is the next big thing in software. Communicating with computers/software via natural language interface is much more intuitive,” Shah wrote on LinkedIn when he first bought the domain. His post was briefly redirected to chat.com before reselling it.