The rest of the story of the man who bought Google.com

[UK2K]

Read it on Mental Floss last night...

Guy was able to buy the domain name Google.com for about a minute. Google, realizing what happened, cancelled the guy's transaction. But, he did own Google.com for about 60 seconds.

For his troubles, Google sent him a $6,006.13 check. The reason Google sent that amount? Because it looks like 'Google' if you squint. (who thought of that?)

The guy, apparently a fairly well off computer programmer, donated the entirety of the check to charity. When Google found out, they then sent him a $12,012.26 check, exactly double the first one, as a reward for his good deed.

Since 2010, Google has given out $6 million to programmers and hackers who have helped find 'flaws' in their security systems.

Pretty cool story, and goes to show why Google is the top dog.

[Velocirap31]

Google is pretty awesome. Apple would have sued the shirt off the guy.

[ISHGoat]

I don't understand. He bought google.com from google?

[UK2K]

I don't understand. He bought google.com from google?

Correct.


Last month, student and former Google employee Sanmay Ved was able to buy Google.com for the small sum due to an administrative issue at the search giant.

He was surprised to find the domain up for sale and when he went to buy it, the $12 transaction went through and the ownership of the search site was transferred.

But within about a minute the purchase had been canceled and Ved's money was refunded.

"Google could do this given the registration service used by me (aka Google Domains) belonged to Google," Ved wrote in a blog post on LinkedIn.

[FillJackson]

So google.com is/was Google owned but it always needs to be renewed, otherwise they lose it?

So who actually owns the address of it, who does Google go to to renew their google.com address?
https://domains.google.com/about/

[Done_And_Done]

Learned a bit about them in a business course I took in Uni. It seems like a great place to be employed with. Love their creativity initiative (how they offer employees paid time to branch off on personal projects that could potentially better the organization).

[Wiltside]

Turned it into a win-win-win situation.

Google win publicity.
The guy gets more money than originally paid by Google.
Charity gets money.

[lilandywiggins]

Cool story. I want more positive stories like this.

[Draz]

Wow. Amazing story.

[Draz]

I don't understand. He bought google.com from google?
Basically if I believe correctly their website expired and needed renewal or can be baught. They failed to remember and boom. Someone got it lol

LEGALLY however. That site should be his and Google forced his hand on giving it back. So technically he could of possibly furthered this but he didn't