While the current market for internet domains is nowhere near as solid as it was during the dot-com peak, the market remains strong and is experiencing solid growth.
Each year, tens of millions of dollars are exchanged during the resale of domains.
Here are the top 10 most expensive domain names:
1. Insure.com 2009 $16 million
This domain name was bought by Internet marketing firm QuinStreet, making it possibly the largest-ever sale of a domain name. It was originally acquired by Insure.com for $1.6 million in December 2001. The website provides life, car and health insurance quotes among others.
2. Sex.com 2006 $14 million
Bought by Gary Kremen, founder of dating website Match.com, in 1994, this domain name has been the subject of a lengthy legal battle, but took the prize for the highest report domain price in 2006. It is now up for auction.
3. Fund.com 2008 £9.99 million
This is a publicly traded Internet company that operates in the financial services. Provides information on investment fund options, gives expert opinion and lets users build portfolios. There is some dispute as to whether Fund.com or sex.com holds the record for the highest price web domain.
4. Porn.com 2007 $9.5 million
Pretty self-explanatory.
5. Business.com 1999 $7.5 million
This site is a business search engine and web directory founded in 1999 by Jake Winebaum, a previous chairman of the Walt Disney Internet Group, and Sky Dayton, founder of Earthlink. In July 2007, business.com, the company, was sold to Yellow Pages publisher RH Donnelly for $345 million.
5=. Diamond.com 2006 $7.5 million
Not to be confused with the car insurance company, Diamond.com quite simply sells diamond jewellery. Bought by online jewellery retailer ice.com.
7. Beer.com 2004 $7 million
A search engine for beer, beer brewing, tasting, beer news, history of beer and drinking games.
8. Israel.com 2008 $5.88 million
Billed as “your first and best source for information about Israel”, it was bought in 1994 by Joel Noel Friedman, a 46-year-old Jewish American. Rather than for seeking profit, he originally bought the sight in fear that it would be misused by somebody else.
9. Casino.com 2003 $5.5 million
Online gambling site.
10. Toys.com 2009 $5.1 million
Bought last year at auction by ToysRUs. Everybody else stopped bidding at $3 million, but the toy company and National A-1 Advertising, owners of domains such as free.com, boys.com and divorce.com kept bidding until the retailer eventually won.
View Comments
Loading ...
