Sanmay Ved Bought Google.com for $12: What Happened
In September 2015, former Googler Sanmay Ved bought Google.com for $12. For about a minute he owned the world’s most visited domain. We covered the story in October 2015, and it’s still the best lesson in why every site owner should protect their domain name. Here’s what happened, what Google paid him, and how to keep your own domain safe.
Quick answer: Sanmay Ved found google.com listed as available in Google Domains, bought it for $12 and briefly got ownership access, including Search Console messages. Google cancelled the sale and refunded him within minutes. Google later rewarded him $6,006.13 (it spells “Google” in numbers), then doubled it to over $12,000 when he chose to donate it to charity.
Table of Contents
How Google.com was bought for $12
Ved was browsing the Google Domains interface when he searched for google.com and saw it shown as available. He added it to his cart, completed the purchase and his card was charged. The domain even appeared in his Google webmaster console, with ownership confirmation messages.
Within a minute the system caught the error, cancelled the order and refunded his $12. As an ex-Googler, Ved reported the glitch to Google’s security team.
Google’s reward
Google paid Ved through its security rewards programme. According to NBC News, Google first offered $6,006.13 and then doubled it to more than $12,000 after learning he would donate the money. He asked that it go to the Art of Living India foundation.
Lessons for domain owners
Glitches happen, and if they can happen to Google, they can happen to you. Google was lucky that google.com was registered with its own service. With another registrar, getting it back could have been much harder.
- Lock your domain to block unauthorised transfers.
- Turn on auto-renew and register important domains for several years.
- Keep domain contact emails working so renewal notices reach you; remember when the 9rules domain expired.
- Use two-factor authentication on your registrar account.
- Watch out: buying expired domains is a big business.
Google’s other slip-ups
Google has had similar moments before. In 2006 the official Google Blogger blog was deleted by mistake and someone else grabbed its blogspot address before Google got it back.
What is cybersquatting?
Registering domains of brands or celebrities to sell them back at a profit is called cybersquatting. Trademark owners can often recover such domains through the UDRP dispute process, but it’s slower and costlier than protecting your names in the first place.
FAQ
Who bought Google.com for $12?
Sanmay Ved, a former Google employee, in September 2015.
How much did Google pay Sanmay Ved?
$6,006.13 at first, doubled to over $12,000 when he donated it to charity.
Can someone buy my domain if it expires?
Yes, after the grace and redemption periods end. Keep auto-renew on and your payment details current.
Get our free weekly email: new tech guides and tools, no spam.
New and updated tech guides, a free tool worth bookmarking and one useful pick, once a week. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
We will email you a link to confirm your subscription. See our privacy policy.
I don’t understand. Where was the domain purchased? How could he buy it if it’s already registered?
Incredible this article. Buying expired domains is very good for anyone who wants to start with an authority website!
Who would not like to have a domain like that for a few moments, Sammy he did it! for a short time.
Wow, is a Nice news. For U$$ 12 it’s really?
Considering that domain names are distributed without prior verification of the requested name registration, it was often common to find conflicts between these names and trademarks. This happened to me, but I got it back! The ideal is to protect your brand against traffic misuse. Anti-cybersquatting is a service that allows you to monitor daily the domain names that use your brand or your name.
I always buy domain expired.
Wow, that was a close one. I should research more about cybersquatting.
Congratulations on the matter. This makes us aware of how to take care of our domains, because if it happened to google, it could happen to anyone.
Going to check the security of my domains in 3.. 2.. 1… :) I can’t believe that happens…
A man who bought the Google.com domain name for $12 and owned it for about a minute has been rewarded by Google for uncovering the process
A man who bought the Google.com domain name for $12 and owned it for about a minute has been rewarded by Google for uncovering
To install it, you have to download Windows Live Essentials suite, and select Windows Live Movie Maker. To download Windows Live Essentials 2012, go to the this site. To change the language selection, click on “Change” button and choose the desired language.
its very nice.It’s amusing how short-lived Sammy’s joy must have been.
Damn, I wish I could get that chance and direct it to my site. So that I can make a million per day. What a chance!.
This is incredible! Do you buy this domain for only 12$?!
Wow, that was a close one. I should research more about cyber-squatting.
this is insane, how should we monitored that kind of activities for our owned domains???
It’s amusing how short-lived Sammy’s joy must have been.
Sometimes chance is on our side all what we need to do is to well exploit it.
Isnt google worth like a gazillion potential dollars in ad revenue? and buys it for 12$ xD
why this funny thing happened. Google.com is a Big Domain. And It’s Just for 12 Dollars? I can’t Believe it. Why didn’t they secure their domain.
Bad Luck for Sammy Ved
Really interesting news. Also you must be aware of copyright / trademark with domain name buying.
its really awesome..
only $12 to buy google.com domain.
thx for shere
Can you tell me how to extend the domain purchased through Google for more than one year as domains purchased thru Google are extendable only for One year.
Wow, that was a close one. I should research more about cyber-squatting.
Wow it,s a really awesome news.Only $12 Domain google.com now where reach.Thanks for Share .
one day we will also think like this ,when we will be successfull for our website.As Sammy Ved .
That sound so great :) He was owner of Google for moment.