A domain name, AI.com, has been sold for $70 million, marking what brokers say is the highest price ever publicly disclosed for a domain sale. The transaction, completed last year, involved the transfer of the domain from Malaysian IT entrepreneur Arsian Ismail to Crypto.com CEO Kris Marsalec.
Ismail, now a tech company owner running “1337 Tech,” originally purchased the domain in 1993 at the age of 10, using his mother’s credit card without her knowledge. He admitted he didn’t fully understand the concept of domain names at the time, simply recognizing that “AI” corresponded to his initials. His mother discovered the unauthorized charge on her credit card statement.
Marsalec, who also owns Crypto.com, stated he viewed the purchase as a long-term investment, anticipating the growing importance of artificial intelligence. “I think that (AI) is going to be one of the biggest technological waves of our time, over the next 10 to 20 years,” he said, adding that it was “interesting” that one person could own two such pivotal domains.
The sale price eclipses the previous record of $49.7 million paid for CarInsurance.com in 2010. Other high-value domain sales include VacationRentals.com at $35 million, and Voice.com, and PrivateJet.com at $30 million each. The entire sum for AI.com was paid in cryptocurrency.
Marsalec intends to leverage AI.com to launch a service offering AI agents capable of tasks like message transmission and stock trading. The domain was initially listed for sale in March 2025 with an asking price of $100 million, according to reports.
Ismail’s early foresight in securing the domain, but, wasn’t based on a prediction of the AI boom. He was involved in early internet projects during his teenage years, contributing to the development of platforms like Friendster.
Marsalec previously demonstrated a willingness to develop significant investments in the digital space, acquiring the naming rights to the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers, for $700 million in 2021, rebranding it as Crypto.com Arena. He entered the cryptocurrency exchange market in 2016, growing Crypto.com to a reported $1.5 billion in annual revenue.
