The Top 100 Most Expensive Domain Sales in History
The definitive record of eight-figure digital real estate transactions, SEC regulatory filings, and corporate acquisitions that shaped the commercial internet.
e.g. try insurance.com, voice.com, or your own domain
| Rank | Domain Name | Verified Price | Year | Acquirer / Buyer | Escrow / Broker | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cars.com✓ E-commerce & Retail | $872,000,000 | 2014 | Gannett Co. Inc. | SEC M&A Valuation Filing | Valuate Today→ |
| #2 | CarInsurance.com✓ Finance & Insurance | $49,700,000 | 2010 | QuinStreet Inc. | SEC 10-K Filing | Valuate Today→ |
| #3 | Insurance.com✓ Finance & Insurance | $35,600,000 | 2010 | QuinStreet Inc. | SEC 10-K Filing | Valuate Today→ |
| #4 | VacationRentals.com✓ Travel & Luxury | $35,000,000 | 2007 | HomeAway (Expedia) | Corporate Acquisition | Valuate Today→ |
| #5 | PrivateJet.com✓ Travel & Luxury | $30,180,000 | 2012 | Nations Luxury Transportation | Private Transfer | Valuate Today→ |
| #6 | Voice.com✓ Tech & AI | $30,000,000 | 2019 | Block.one | GoDaddy Corporate Brokerage / Escrow | Valuate Today→ |
| #7 | 360.com✓ Short Acronyms | $17,000,000 | 2015 | Qihoo 360 Security Technology | Vodafone Corporate Transfer | Valuate Today→ |
| #8 | NFTs.com✓ Tech & AI | $15,000,000 | 2022 | Private Digital Collector | Domaining.com / Escrow.com | Valuate Today→ |
| #9 | Sex.com✓ Gaming & Entertainment | $13,000,000 | 2010 | Clover Holdings Ltd | Sedo Bankruptcy Auction | Valuate Today→ |
| #10 | Fund.com✓ Finance & Insurance | $12,000,000 | 2008 | Clek Media / Private Capital | SEC 8-K Filing | Valuate Today→ |
| #11 | Hotels.com✓ Travel & Luxury | $11,000,000 | 2001 | Expedia Inc (IAC) | Corporate Stock/Cash Transfer | Valuate Today→ |
| #12 | Tesla.com✓ Tech & AI | $11,000,000 | 2016 | Elon Musk / Tesla Motors | Private Brokerage (Stuart Grossman) | Valuate Today→ |
| #13 | AI.com✓ Tech & AI | $11,000,000 | 2023 | OpenAI / Private Tech Syndicate | Private Escrow | Valuate Today→ |
| #14 | Porno.com✓ Gaming & Entertainment | $8,888,888 | 2015 | MindGeek | Rick Schwartz / Escrow.com | Valuate Today→ |
| #15 | FB.com✓ Short Acronyms | $8,500,000 | 2010 | Facebook Inc. | American Farm Bureau Federation | Valuate Today→ |
| #16 | We.com✓ Short Acronyms | $8,000,000 | 2015 | Tencent / Renrendai | Private Brokerage | Valuate Today→ |
| #17 | Diamond.com✓ E-commerce & Retail | $7,500,000 | 2006 | Ice.com | Oingo / Applied Semantics | Valuate Today→ |
| #18 | Beer.com✓ E-commerce & Retail | $7,000,000 | 2004 | Interbrew (Anheuser-Busch InBev) | Private Transfer | Valuate Today→ |
| #19 | Z.com✓ Short Acronyms | $6,800,000 | 2014 | GMO Internet Inc. | Nissan Motors Transfer | Valuate Today→ |
| #20 | iCloud.com✓ Tech & AI | $6,000,000 | 2011 | Apple Inc. | Xacti Private Sale | Valuate Today→ |
| #21 | Slots.com✓ Gaming & Entertainment | $5,500,000 | 2010 | Bodog (Calvin Ayre) | Sedo Escrow | Valuate Today→ |
| #22 | Toys.com✓ E-commerce & Retail | $5,100,000 | 2009 | Toys "R" Us | Bankruptcy Court Auction | Valuate Today→ |
| #23 | Clothes.com✓ E-commerce & Retail | $4,900,000 | 2008 | Zappos (Amazon) | Private Brokerage | Valuate Today→ |
| #24 | BTC.com✓ Short Acronyms | $4,000,000 | 2014 | Bitmain Technologies | Private Transfer | Valuate Today→ |
| #25 | Friend.com✓ Tech & AI | $1,800,000 | 2024 | Avi Schiffmann / Friend AI | Private Brokerage | Valuate Today→ |
| #26 | You.ai✓ Tech & AI | $700,000 | 2024 | AI Personal Assistant Venture | NameJet / Private Escrow | Valuate Today→ |
| #27 | Agent.ai✓ Tech & AI | $400,000 | 2023 | Dharmesh Shah (HubSpot Founder) | NameJet Private Sale | Valuate Today→ |
| #28 | 000.xyz✓ Short Acronyms | $315,000 | 2023 | Web3 Capital Fund | Private Escrow | Valuate Today→ |
| #29 | Stack.ai✓ Tech & AI | $258,888 | 2023 | YC Enterprise Startup | Escrow.com | Valuate Today→ |
| #30 | Chatbot.com✓ Tech & AI | $250,000 | 2023 | LiveChat Software S.A. | Private Brokerage | Valuate Today→ |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most expensive domain name ever sold?
The highest valued domain asset in internet history is Cars.com, appraised at $872,000,000 in official SEC filings during Gannett Co.'s acquisition of Classified Ventures. The highest all-cash public transaction for a pure domain name is Insurance.com at $35,600,000 (QuinStreet, 2010), closely followed by VacationRentals.com at $35,000,000 and Voice.com at $30,000,000.
What is the most expensive .AI domain ever sold?
The highest verified public sale for a .ai extension domain is You.ai at $700,000 in 2024, followed by Agent.ai at $400,000 (acquired by HubSpot founder Dharmesh Shah) and Stack.ai at $258,888.
Why do companies pay millions of dollars for domain names?
Enterprises acquire category-defining domains to establish instant institutional trust, capture permanent organic search type-in traffic without ongoing Google Ads pay-per-click spend, prevent competitors from seizing digital monopolies, and lower overall customer acquisition costs (CAC).