[This excerpt was repurposed from The Domain Standard. It is the result of a collaboration between Freename and The Domain Standard and is featured in the inaugural issue of their print and digital magazine]
The world of domain investing has moved far beyond simple digital addresses. Today, premium domains are traded like real estate, generating returns that rival traditional assets. Below are some of the top-selling domains and investor case studies, based entirely on data reported in The Domain Standard, Issue 01 (June 2025).
The Highest-Selling Domains
Some domains have reached eye-watering prices, proving their scarcity and brand power.
- Voice.com – sold for $30 million (2019)
- Chat.com – sold for $15.5 million (2023)
- NFTs.com – sold for $15 million (2022)
- Rocket.com – sold for $14 million (2024)
- Sex.com – sold for $14 million (2005)
Source: Table 4, page 7 (The Domain Standard, Issue 01).
ccTLD Leaders
Country-code top-level domains (ccTLDs) are seeing strong sales, especially in the AI sector. Seven of the top 10 ccTLD sales last year included “.ai.”
- Tyres.co.uk – $373,467 (Jan 2025, Sedo)
- Girlfriend.ai – $274,610 (Dec 2024, Atom.com)
- Boyfriend.ai – $230,000 (Dec 2024, Afternic)
- Ace.ai – $205,000 (Mar 2025, Atom.com)
- Zip.ai – $200,000 (Dec 2024, Park.io)
- Please.ai – $200,000 (Nov 2024, Park.io)
- Fluid.io – $199,995 (Mar 2025, Namecheap)
- Turbo.io – $198,018 (Oct 2024, Private)
- Mortgagebroker.com.au – $165,000 (Mar 2025, Afternic)
- Os.ai – $150,000 (Oct 2024, Private)
Source: Table 4, Page 10 (The Domain Standard, Issue 01)
Domain Investor Success Stories
1. Mike Mann’s Sales
Domain investor Mike Mann has demonstrated extraordinary returns:
- CryptoWorld.com – purchased for $15 (2011), sold for $195,000 (2018) → 287% annualized ROI
- DCDate.com – purchased for $70 (2011), sold for $9,888 (2019) → 85.67% annualized RO
- SoftwareBuilders.com – purchased for $350 (2005), sold for $20,000 (2019
Average annualized ROI across his 2019 portfolio: 94.6%.
Source: Table 4 & 5, Page 11 (The Domain Standard, Issue 01)
2. Rick Schwartz’s Long-Term Strategy
Known as the “Domain King,” Rick Schwartz takes a hold-and-sell approach:
- 989.com – purchased for $100 (1997), sold for $818,000 (2019) → 50.61% ROI
- 899.com – purchased for $100 (1997), sold for $801,000 (2019) → 50.47% ROI
- Men.com – purchased for $15,000 (1997), sold for $1.32M (2019) → 22.57% ROI
Average annualized ROI: 44.12% over ~22 years.
Source: Table 6, Page 12 (The Domain Standard, Issue 01)
3. Braden Pollock’s Explosive Returns
Braden Pollock achieved staggering growth between 2023–2024.
- Schematic.com – bought for $11,865, sold for $150,000 (2023) → 45.62% annualized ROI
- Cloak.net – bought for $2,500, sold for $29,998 (2023) → 475.40% ROI
- Coa.com – sold for $140,000 (2023), having traded hands multiple times since 2010 (Table 7, page 16).
- Spring.net – purchased for ~$6,400 (2023), sold for $100,000 (2024) → 642.68% annualized ROI
- Powder.org – purchased for <$1,000, sold for $35,000 (2024) → 1,169.38% annualized ROI
- Optimist.vc – sold for $3,499 (2024) → 207.81% annualized ROI
Median annualized ROI: 143.99% (2024), far outperforming the S&P 500’s 23.31% that same year.
Source: Table 7, Page 13 – Sales & Table 8, Page 15 (The Domain Standard, Issue 01)
Conclusion
The data confirms that premium domains are some of the most lucrative digital assets in existence. With investors like Mike Mann, Rick Schwartz, and Braden Pollock consistently achieving outsized returns, domains continue to rival and often outperform traditional assets like real estate, gold, and stocks.
As blockchain and AI streamline domain transactions, the market for premium digital real estate is likely to grow even more transparent and accessible, making “top selling domains” not just industry headlines, but real investment opportunities.
Everything in this article comes from The Domain Standard, Issue 01 (June 2025). Figures/tables included:
- Table 3 (p.10)
- Table 4 (p.7, p.11)
- Table 5 (p.11)
- Table 6 (p.12)
- Table 7 (p.13, p.16)
- Table 8 (p.15)
