The Chat's Out of The Bag !! Dharmesh Shah's Visionary Move with Chat.com

Chat.com sold to OpenAI

The world of tech received a surprising revelation: Indian-origin entrepreneur Dharmesh Shah, co-founder and CTO of HubSpot, sold the prestigious domain chat.com to OpenAI. This forward-thinking sale, reported to exceed $15 million, represents a strategic alignment between Shah’s vision for ChatUX and OpenAI’s expansion in conversational AI.

The domain now seamlessly redirects to ChatGPT, OpenAI’s widely celebrated chatbot.

The Announcement that Sparked Buzz

This revelation unfolded on X when OpenAI CEO Sam Altman mentioned the acquisition in a brief yet telling post, “chat.com.” Shah confirmed the news in a response to Altman’s announcement, subtly sharing that the sale price exceeded his initial investment without disclosing the final figure.

Dharmesh Shah’s Reaction: A Proud Milestone

Reflecting on the achievement, Shah shared his excitement on X, confirming what many had speculated. In a post that underscored the significance of this acquisition, he playfully wrote,

“BREAKING NEWS: Secret acquirer of $15+ million domain chat.com revealed and it’s exactly who you’d think.”

He reminded followers of his earlier disclosure in 2023, when he had purchased the domain for an “8-figure sum,” with reports hinting at a value of $15.5 million.

Why Chat.com? Shah’s Bold Bet on Chat-Based UX

When Shah initially acquired chat.com, he envisioned a future led by ChatUX, a trend in which users could naturally communicate with software via conversational interfaces. He described his decision on LinkedIn, emphasizing that chat-based experiences would redefine software interaction. This belief in intuitive, language-driven tech catalyzed his move to secure the domain, which briefly redirected users to chat.com before the OpenAI sale.