Wondering about the most expensive domain names ever sold? Premium domain names can command a heavy price.
In the domain name world, .COM extensions are often the most expensive—the highest .COM sale on record was Business.com, which sold for $345 million in 2007.
Unfortunately, the buyer went out of business two years after dropping that hefty sum on a domain.
But, many other domain name extensions sell for significant sums. One example is Poker.net, the most expensive .NET domain sale on record.
In March 2021, we brokered a deal to sell Poker.net for $750,000, beating the previous $500k record for Mobile.net, which sold in 2014.
For your reference, here are the 25 most expensive domain names to change hands, according to publicly-reported information.
| Domain | Price | Sale date |
|---|---|---|
| Business.com | $345 million | 2007 |
| LasVegas.com | $90 million | 2005 |
| Voice.com | $30 million | 2019 |
| 360.com | $17 million | 2015 |
| Sex.com | $13 million | 2010 |
| Fund.com | $12 million | 2008 |
| Hotels.com | $11 million | 2001 |
| Tesla.com | $11 million | 2014 |
| Porno.com | $8.8 million | 2015 |
| Fb.com | $8.5 million | 2010 |
| HealthInsurance.com | $8.13 million | 2019 |
| We.com | $8 million | 2015 |
| Diamond.com | $7.5 million | 2006 |
| Beer.com | $7 million | 2004 |
| Z.com | $6.8 million | 2014 |
| iCloud.com | $6 million | 2011 |
| Casino.com | $5.5 million | 2003 |
| Slots.com | $5.5 million | 2010 |
| AsSeenOnTv.com | $5.1 million | 2000 |
| Toys.com | $5.1 million | 2009 |
| Korea.com | $5 million | 2000 |
| Clothes.com | $4.9 million | 2008 |
| Medicare.com | $4.8 million | 2014 |
| IG.com | $4.6 million | 2013 |
| GiftCard.com | $4 million | 2012 |
| Yp.com | $3.8 million | 2008 |
| IT.com | $3.8 million | 2021 |
| HG.com | $3.77 million | 2016 |
| Mi.com | $3.6 million | 2014 |
| Shop.com | $3.55 million | 2003 |
| Ice.com | $3.5 million | 2018 |
| AltaVista.com | $3.3 million | 1998 |
| Wine.com | $3.3 million | 2003 |
| Software.com | $3.2 million | 2005 |
| Christmas.com | $3.15 million | 2020 |
| Whisky.com | $3.1 million | 2014 |
| California.com | $3.0 million | 2019 |
| Candy.com | $3.0 million | 2009 |
| Loans.com | $3.0 million | 2000 |
| Place.com | $3.0 million | 2021 |
| Vodka.com | $3.0 million | 2006 |
Source: Wikipedia
A few other domain names likely sold for several million, but there’s no public confirmation of their price. One example is Crypto.com, which allegedly sold for $12 million, according to business news site Cheddar.
What is the highest-selling domain name?
Business.com remains the highest domain name sale on record. In 2007, RH Donnelley, a print and web-based directories publisher, bought Business.com for a whopping $345 million.
The price turned heads because no other domain sale came close to that amount as of that time. Up till now, we haven’t even seen a bigger one.
Business.com was a highly-priced domain with many suitors after it. RH Donnelley beat out rival bidders such as Dow Jones, New York Times and News Corp. to get the domain.
Unfortunately, RH Donnelley filed for bankruptcy in 2009, two years after the purchase.
Nowadays, Business.com is a full-fledged site for business articles and reviews. The generic domain name drives a lot of organic traffic to the website, highlighting the importance of getting a good domain name.
What are the top domain names?
The top domain name TLDs are .COM, .ORG, .NET, .CO, and .US.
.COM domains are the most common on the web. They were originally designated for for-profit businesses but have become the most common choice for everyone nowadays.
When settling on a domain extension, you should likely pick a .COM if it’s available.
The .ORG extension was originally meant for not-for-profit organizations but nowadays is available to everyone. It remains most used by non-profit firms such as government organizations, charities, political parties, etc.
.ORG is a less popular domain extension than .COM, so there’s a lesser chance of someone having already registered your desired domain.
.NET was initially meant for internet service providers or networks but is now available to the public. It’s a good option for technology or web-based companies because the net implies network and technology.
.CO is a common domain name extension and a good substitute for .COM. It’s typically associated with commercial ventures. However, it’s a less popular extension than .COM and the close similarity between .CO and .COM can confuse some users.
.US is the official domain extension of the United States of America (USA). It’s only available to permanent residents or businesses domiciled in the US.
Domain name sales history
There are many websites where to search for historic domain name sales and their purchase prices. Examples include NameBio, DomainSherpa, and EstiBot. These sites let you fetch domain name sales information easily.
You can know the price range to expect and place better bids for prospective domains with historic sales data at your fingertips.
