Top 10 most expensive domain sales in history    

We've seen that high quality domains are very expensive in the secondary market. So, just how expensive they are? How much have they fetched the highest till date?

We did a little research and we could actually come up with 10 most expensive domain sales in history. The list goes like this:

1. Voice.com sold for $30 million in May 2019. It was a private deal. As of today, voice.com runs as a NFT marketplace.

2. VacationRentals.com was acquired by the founder of HomeAway.co.uk in 2007 for a whopping $35 million. Although it was not mentioned if it included any IP or running business, it was reported that VacationRentals.com was acquired to keep away the competitors from getting it.

3. PrivateJet.com was acquired by Nations Luxury Transportation, LLC in February, 2012 for $30.18 million. As of writing this artcle, privatejet.com redirects to JustLuxe.com article about the domain acquisition.

4. Internet.com was acquired by QuinStreet in November 2009 for around $18 million in cash. It was reported that a number of other top domain names were also part of the deal, including InternetNews.com, ServerWatch.com, Developer.com etc.

5. 360.com was acquired by a Chinese company called Qihoo for $17 million in February 2015 and it was confirmed by domain investors Andrew Rosener from Media Options and George Hong, a Chinese investor.

6. Insure.com, originally an insurance broker company, was also acquired by QuinStreet who acquired Internet.com in 2009. The insurance company’s name and the domain name were the part of deal here. The seller made $16 million for $1.6 million that they actually paid for the domain name in 2001. 

7. Nfts.com was acquired for $15 millon in August 2022. The buyer is unknown and the site currently has a landing page that says, "Powered by DigitalArtists.com Marketplace". It is highest ever deal in recent years in domain industry.

8. Sex.com was sold for $13 million in November 2010 at Sedo.com, a domain marketplace. If you adjust the amount for inflation, then it certainly becomes one of top domain sales in the history. Interestingly, the sale of Sex.com made to the Guinness World Record for “most expensive internet address domain name” the following year.

9. Fund.com was said to be sold for $10 million in 2008, although it was argued at the time. And unfortunately, as if to "push up" to the arguement, the domain was resold in 2019 and it had ask price of only $2.5 million before it was sold. The sale was brokered by the team at MediaOptions.

10. Hotels.com was acquired by David Roche and his company for $11 million in 2001. If you adjust this amount for inflation in 2023, the price will be even lot higher. At the time, the amount was considered “a crazy sum of money”. But in an interview with BBC News, Mr Roche said,  “Now we look back and think, what a bargain.”