The domain aftermarket has grown from a niche curiosity in the mid-1990s into a billion-dollar industry. Some domains have changed hands for prices rivaling prime real estate. But how have the biggest domain sales evolved over time?
This article presents a year-by-year record of the top known domain sales since 1995. For some years, data is patchy: many early deals were private, unverified, or tied to company acquisitions. Where we lack complete “top three” information, I note the gaps.
Table: Top Domain Sales by Year
| Year | #1 Domain Sale | #2 Domain Sale | #3 Domain Sale | Notes / Data Gaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Internet.com — ~$18M (reported) | — | — | Data very sparse; few sales documented publicly. |
| 1996–1997 | — | — | — | No reliably documented million-dollar domain-only sales. |
| 1998 | AltaVista.com — $3.3M | — | — | Part of company deal; domain-only pricing unclear. |
| 1999 | Business.com — $7.5M | Drugs.com — ~$823K | — | Limited public data; only a few high-profile sales reported. |
| 2000 | AsSeenOnTv.com — $5.1M | Korea.com — $5.0M | Loans.com — $3.0M | First year with multiple well-documented million-dollar sales. |
| 2001 | Hotels.com — $11M | — | — | Other large sales not publicly confirmed. |
| 2002 | — | — | — | Sparse data; few publicly verified sales. |
| 2003 | Casino.com — $5.5M | Shop.com — $3.5M | Wine.com — $3.3M | Start of stronger aftermarket reporting. |
| 2004 | Beer.com — $7.0M | Wines.com — $2.9M | CreditCards.com — $2.75M | Generic .coms dominate. |
| 2005 | Sex.com — $14M | Software.com — $3.2M | MarketingToday.com — $1.5M | Sex.com set a historic record. |
| 2006 | Diamond.com — $7.5M | Vodka.com — $3.0M | Branson.com — $1.6M | Gem and alcohol names top sales. |
| 2007 | Porn.com — $9.5M | Computer.com — $2.1M | Seniors.com — $1.8M | Adult and generic one-word .coms lead. |
| 2008 | Fund.com — $9.99M | Clothes.com — $4.9M | Pizza.com — $2.6M | Strong year for retail and finance names. |
| 2009 | Toys.com — $5.1M | Candy.com — $3.0M | — | Other top sales less clear. |
| 2010 | Sex.com — $13M | Slots.com — $5.5M | Dating.com — $1.75M | Second major sale of Sex.com. |
| 2011 | Social.com — $2.6M | DomainName.com — ~$1M | — | Marijuana.com (~$4.2M) reported but may include assets. |
| 2012 | PrivateJet.com — $30.2M | Investing.com — $2.45M | — | Record year for a premium luxury domain. |
| 2013 | — | — | — | Few publicly confirmed million-dollar domain-only deals. |
| 2014 | MI.com — $3.6M | MM.com — $1.2M | — | Short 2-letter domains top the year. |
| 2015 | 360.com — $17M | Porno.com — $8.9M | We.com — $8.0M | Strong Chinese demand fuels big sales. |
| 2016 | HG.com — $3.77M | Vivo.com — $2.1M | — | Data for #3 less certain. |
| 2017 | Fly.com — $2.89M | Lotto.com — $2.68M | Better.com — $1.82M | Generic and finance domains lead. |
| 2018 | Ice.com — $3.5M | Zoom.com — $2.0M | — | Short, brandable names dominate. |
| 2019 | Voice.com — $30M | HealthInsurance.com — $8.1M | — | Voice.com set an all-time record. |
| 2020 | Insurance.com — $35.6M | Christmas.com — $3.1M | Bullish.com — $1.08M | Insurance names command huge premiums. |
| 2021 | IG.com — $4.7M | AV.com — $4.2M | Floor.com — $3.1M | Top sales all short, brandable .coms. |
| 2022 | NFTs.com — $15M | Connect.com — $10M | Gems.com — $1.5M | Web3 trend drives top sales. |
| 2023 | — | — | — | No clear $10M+ domain-only sales verified; data sparse. |
| 2024 | Chat.com — $15.5M | Rocket.com — $14M | Gold.com — $8.5M | Big comeback year for premium generics. |
Chart: Top Sale Per Year (1995–2024)
This visualization highlights the sharp spikes: PrivateJet.com in 2012, Voice.com in 2019, Insurance.com in 2020, and recent names like Chat.com and NFTs.com.
The Hidden Story: Private and Undisclosed Deals
The table and chart above focus on publicly verified, domain-only sales. But the real market is even bigger, because many top deals were:
- Private and only disclosed later. Example: Elon Musk confirmed in 2016 that Tesla.com cost him around US$11 million, though this never appeared in DNJournal charts.
- Corporate rebrands: FB.com was acquired by Facebook in 2010 for US$8.5 million, but as a private purchase it wasn’t always included in public lists.
- Bundled assets: CarInsurance.com and Insure.com sold for tens of millions, but those transactions included entire businesses, not just the domains.
That means the official “top three per year” lists understate the true scale of the domain market. The very biggest names often move quietly, behind closed doors.
Key Takeaways
- Data gaps in the 1990s: Early sales were rarely disclosed, often bundled with company acquisitions.
- 2000s boom: Generics in travel, alcohol, gambling, and adult niches drove many of the largest sales.
- 2010s surge: Finance (Insurance.com), tech (Voice.com), and short 2-letter .coms fueled record prices.
- Recent years: Web3 and AI trends (NFTs.com, Chat.com) lifted demand again, though data for some years (e.g. 2013, 2023) is scarce.
- Outliers dominate: In almost every year, the #1 sale is far above the 2nd and 3rd.
- Private mega-deals exist: Some of the most famous domains (Tesla.com, FB.com) don’t show up in public lists but still sold for millions.
Conclusion
Tracking the top domain sales year by year shows the market’s evolution from obscure beginnings to a global industry. While not every year yields three verified public sales, the pattern is clear: premium .coms remain king, industry trends matter (finance, tech, crypto, AI), and true category-killer domains continue to fetch eight-figure sums.
And behind the official charts lies a hidden story: the quiet, private deals where legendary names like Tesla.com or FB.com changed hands. Those sales remind us that in domaining, the most valuable assets often move in silence.
