How AI.com Sold for $70 Million: The Quiet Malaysian Investor Arsyan Ismail Behind the Historic Deal

Malaysian entrepreneur Arsyan Ismail sold AI.com for about $70 million in April 2025, turning quiet domain purchase into one of biggest deals in internet history. He had bought the rare 2-letter domain years earlier because it matched his initials.

Image Credit : X

A quiet purchase that changed with time

Malaysian technology entrepreneur Arsyan Ismail once bought the domain name AI.com for a simple reason. The two letters matched his own initials. At that time, the purchase was not seen as a bold bet on artificial intelligence. It was simply a rare, clean and short web address.

Years later, that quiet decision turned into one of the biggest digital deals in internet history.

In April 2025, Ismail sold AI.com for about $70 million to Kris Marszalek. The sale quickly gained global attention, especially after the domain appeared in a commercial during Super Bowl LX, one of the most watched television events in the world.

Image Credit : X/DNdomainname

A low-profile investor with a patient strategy

Arsyan Ismail is known in domain circles as a careful and patient investor. He has largely stayed out of public attention. He is not famous for launching consumer apps or running fast-growing startups.

Pengusaha teknologi asal Malaysia, Arsyan Ismail mendadak jadi sorotan dunia setelah berhasil menjual nama domain premium "https://t.co/6QzSJbSgyi" dengan harga yang sangat fantastis, yakni 70 juta dollar AS (sekitar Rp 1,1 triliun).

👉🏻Baca selengkapnya https://t.co/bJKQAAtSWr… pic.twitter.com/6hWVKXRSkh

— Kompas.com (@kompascom) February 10, 2026

Instead, his focus has been on owning rare digital assets. People familiar with the domain industry describe him as disciplined. Over the years, he built value by holding scarce internet properties and waiting for the right time to sell.

AI.com was one of those assets.

Image Credit : X/Pankaj Kumar (@pankajkumar_dev)

Why two-letter domains are so valuable

Two-letter domains are extremely rare. There are only 676 possible combinations in the English alphabet. Most of them were registered decades ago and rarely become available.

This scarcity makes them highly valuable. In today’s digital world, short and simple names are powerful for branding. AI.com stands at the very top of this group. It is short, global and easy to remember.

As artificial intelligence became the most talked-about technology in the world, demand for anything connected to 'AI' increased sharply. The value of AI.com rose along with the industry.

Image Credit : X/Odysseyy_AI

A domain held quietly for years

Despite its growing worth, Ismail did not build a company or product around AI.com. The domain remained mostly undeveloped. At times, it redirected to other AI-related websites, which led to speculation. However, ownership did not change.

By not rushing to launch a product, Ismail kept the domain clean and flexible. Industry observers say this helped protect its long-term value.

Why the timing of the sale mattered

The sale came at a key moment. Artificial intelligence had reached peak public interest. AI tools were entering schools, workplaces and homes. Governments and large companies were racing to shape their AI plans.

Branding around AI became highly competitive. In this environment, owning AI.com carried huge symbolic and commercial value.

When Ismail agreed to sell the domain for $70 million, the price reflected both its rarity and the wider AI boom. The figure set a new benchmark for domain sales.

Image Credit : X/kompascom

The Super Bowl effect

The story became even bigger when AI.com appeared in a Super Bowl LX advertisement. Instead of a quiet launch, the new owner chose one of the largest advertising stages in the world.

@aidotcom won the Super Bowl search lottery. This is Google Trends for the keyword "https://t.co/fFMlOo4shj" after their commercial aired. pic.twitter.com/t5jul7I7ky

— Kevin Poirier Rowe (@Kevinrowe) February 11, 2026

The commercial invited viewers to visit the website and reserve usernames. Within minutes, traffic surged and briefly overwhelmed the site. Even so, the move succeeded in making AI.com one of the most discussed tech moments of the broadcast.

What AI.com is expected to become

Under its new ownership, AI.com is being positioned as a consumer-focused AI platform. Users can reserve personal handles and AI identities.

The wider goal appears to involve AI agents that can act for users across digital services. While full details are still limited, the ambition is clear. AI.com is being shaped as a main entry point for everyday AI tools.

How much did Ismail earn?

Reports suggest Ismail originally paid around $10 million to acquire the domain from a domain portfolio firm. Selling it for $70 million implies a profit of roughly $60 million.

The payment was reportedly made in cryptocurrency. This means the final realised value could depend on market prices at the time of conversion. Even with that factor, the sale stands among the most profitable domain transactions ever recorded.

Arsyan Ismail’s journey with AI.com shows how patience, timing and scarcity can transform digital assets into historic deals. What started as a personal name match became a landmark moment in the age of artificial intelligence.