KUALA LUMPUR – A childhood purchase made in the early days of the internet has turned into one of the most significant domain name transactions ever.
Malaysian tech entrepreneur Arsyan Ismail has sold the coveted web address AI.com for more than RM300 million, making it the largest publicly disclosed domain sale to date, according to news site Says.
The deal, valued at approximately US$70 million, was concluded with Crypto.com’s co-founder and CEO, Kris Marszalek. While the domain was originally listed at US$100 million in March 2025, the final price was negotiated down.
For several months, the transaction remained largely under wraps, as the buyer quietly worked on developing a platform for the site.
However, AI.com was unveiled during Super Bowl LX on February 8, 2026, when it redirected visitors to a personal AI agent platform.
Records show that AI.com was registered on May 4, 1993, with Kuala Lumpur as the listed location. Arsyan shared that he purchased the domain at the age of 10 using his mother’s credit card, drawn by the coincidence that the initials “AI” matched his own name.
Speaking to Says, he recalled his decision to invest in the domain.
Now 43, Arsyan has spent over three decades shaping his career in the tech industry. He began working on internet-based projects as a teenager, contributing to platforms such as Kawanster, Nuffnang (where he served as senior programmer), and Friendster. In 2013, he founded 1337 Tech.
An early Bitcoin adopter, Arsyan continues to focus on blockchain and cryptocurrency ventures and is also known for his rare digital asset collections, including ultra-short email addresses, premium web domains, and Ethereum Name Service identifiers.
Reflecting on the AI.com deal, Arsyan shared some valuable insights on high-stakes negotiations.
“Never over-negotiate or play fishing with them, you might end up blowing the deal,” he advised.
“That’s my only advice when making a deal at this level.” – February 10, 2026