Hajra Naz
Just ahead of the Super Bowl, Crypto.com founder Kris Marszalek has pulled off the most expensive domain purchase ever. According to the Financial Times, he bought AI.com for $70 million, paying entirely in cryptocurrency to an undisclosed seller. The deal smashes the previous record for a domain name. Broker Larry Fischer, who handled the sale, likely had a very good day.
Marszalek plans to unveil the site during Sunday’s game. AI.com will launch as a personal AI agent designed for messaging, app interactions, and stock trading.
Marszalek told the FT.
“If you take a long-term view—10 to 20 years—AI is going to be one of the greatest technological waves of our lifetime,”
The purchase resets the domain record books, though big spending is nothing new in crypto. Until now, the most expensive domain was CarInsurance.com, which sold for $49.7 million in 2010.
Other major sales include VacationRentals.com for $35 million in 2007 and Voice.com for $30 million in 2019. Additional eye-catching deals include PrivateJet.com ($30 million), 360.com ($17 million), and Sex.com, which sold twice for more than $13 million, though its second owner eventually went bankrupt trying to make it profitable.
Read More: Why Crypto Leaders Are Worried About Their Personal Safety
“With assets like AI.com, there are no substitutes,” Fischer told the FT. “When one becomes available, the opportunity may never present itself again.”
Whether ultra-premium domains actually deliver long-term returns is still up for debate. But for Marszalek, who already owns Crypto.com and spent $700 million on stadium naming rights, controlling two category-defining domains appears to be worth the price.
