OpenAI has acquired Chat.com, further expanding its collection of notable domain names. As of today, visiting Chat.com redirects users to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI-powered chatbot. The acquisition was confirmed by an OpenAI spokesperson via email.
Chat.com has a long history on the internet, having been registered back in September 1996. In 2022, HubSpot’s co-founder and CTO, Dharmesh Shah, reportedly purchased the domain for $15.5 million, making it one of the highest publicly recorded domain sales. Shah later shared that he sold Chat.com to an undisclosed buyer, and today, in a social media post, he confirmed that OpenAI was indeed the purchaser. His statement also hinted that the transaction may have involved OpenAI shares as part of the deal.
While Chat.com now redirects to ChatGPT, there is no indication that OpenAI plans to use it as a permanent brand or hosting site for ChatGPT. The domain’s ownership has remained unchanged since last year’s sale, which suggests that OpenAI’s intention may not be a rebranding but simply a way to make ChatGPT more accessible.
The exact purchase amount was not disclosed by OpenAI.
