OpenAI made a move that shows just how serious they are about conversational AI, they bought chat.com. Not just any domain — the domain if you want to be synonymous with conversational AI. In a move that’s almost reminiscent to the early 2000s dot-com boom, the pets.com era.
This chat.com story behind it starts with Dharmesh Shah, Founder and CTO of HubSpot. Dharmesh bought it for an “8-figure sum,” which was first reported to be $10M and later confirmed to be $15.5 million. He saw its potential — simple, powerful, and perfectly timed for the rise of conversational AI. He wasn’t planning on using it for HubSpot’s ChatSpot.ai (ChatSpot was later rebranded to Breeze Copilot and integrated directly into HubSpot) instead, he knew it needed to find the right owner to reach its full potential. He also hinted that if he made a profit on this sale that he would make a large donation to Sal Khan and Khan Academy — a cause he’s passionate about. The domain sale ended up being a cash + stock deal, and Dharmesh made a $250,000 donation, so safe to say he probably made a profit (even if it’s in the future). I’ve seen conflicting reports but the rumored sale figure is closer to $25M.
Dharmesh is no stranger to the value of great domain names. He’s the same person behind WordPlay.com, a word game that hit 150 million games played and attracted 16 million users. He knows the power of a good name — something short, memorable, and sweet. And chat.com realistically was no different. It was the kind of name that didn’t need an explanation, it spoke for itself.
And that’s where OpenAI comes in. Sama (Sam Altman), CEO of OpenAI, kept it pretty lowkey with a quick tweet that confirmed they were the new owners of chat.com. His tweet literally was “chat.com”.
Now, if you visit the domain it redirects you to chat.openai.com, which signals that this isn’t actually a product rebrand, but a potential ‘flex on the opps‘ moment. For Sam and OpenAI this wasn’t just about acquiring a domain name, it was about making a VERY BOLD statement. The message behind chat.com is crystal clear.
With the other 3 major players in Anthropic, Meta and Google all competing for the largest cut of the AI pie, standing out requires more than just great tech — it needs something that resonates beyond tech nerds like me, and appeals to the general public. ChatGPT is now the fastest to reach 100 million monthly active users (MAU), but for OpenAI there’s still room to grow.
Okay so back to chat.com. The name tells users exactly what they can expect, a place for some type of conversations. Dharmesh called it “absolutely brilliant in terms of simplicity, shortness, and being totally on point.” And he’s right. A name like chat.com isn’t just a clever branding decision — it’s something that’s extremely easy for people remember. OpenAI didn’t just buy a domain, they bought mindshare. When people think of chat, they’ll think of OpenAI. It’s not about snarky campaigns or marketing gimmicks, it’s not even about being the easiest to set up (sorry @levelsio) — it’s about being unmistakable. Chat.com makes OpenAI the first stop for anyone looking for AI-driven conversation.
By acquiring chat.com OpenAI sent a clear message, they want to be the leaders in conversational AI — not just with the technology, but in how people think about it. The domain is now the foundation for the identity of their flagship product. It makes AI approachable and shows that OpenAI is serious about being at the center of how we interact with technology in our everyday lives.
To me, a domain name is more than just a URL, a lot of time choosing the right domain name is a symbol of visionary thinking, it’s about understanding digital real estate and shaping how millions of people see and experience technology. Personally i’ll continue to bet big on Chat UX and domains in 2025.
OpenAI also owns ai.com, absolutely masterclass in domain acquisition strategy from Sama and the team.
Hey, my post on this topic was featured in Linkedin News ✌️