The Domain Name System (DNS) was created in 1983 by Paul Mockapetris, an American computer scientist. This system replaced the prior method of identifying computers on a network, which was a simple text file.
The first domain name ever registered was "symbolics.com" on March 15, 1985. It was registered by the Symbolics Computer Corporation, a computer manufacturer.
Domain names can be up to 63 characters long, not including the domain extension (.com, .org, .net, etc.) and the total URL can be up to 255 characters long.
Domain names were initially limited to ASCII characters, but with the introduction of Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) in the late 1990s, domain names could include characters from non-Latin scripts.
DNS propagation is the time it takes for all DNS servers worldwide to update their records with new DNS information. This can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is responsible for managing and coordinating the DNS to ensure that every domain name links to the correct IP address.
ICANN introduced new generic top-level domains (gTLDs) in 2011, providing more options beyond .com, .org, etc. Examples include .app, .music, .blog, and many others. A further round of new gTLDs is predicted in 2026.
Mike Mann, founder of BuyDomains and DomainMarket, reportedly owns one of the largest private domain name portfolios in the world. He is famous for once registering nearly 15,000 domain names in a single day.
Known as the "Domain King," Rick Schwartz has made a fortune by buying and selling domain names. He sold "Porno.com" for $8.9 million in 2015, one of the highest prices ever paid for a domain name.
Frank Schilling is a notable domain investor who started in the early 2000s. His company, Uniregistry, was one of the biggest winners in ICANN's new gTLD program, securing rights to run extensions like .link and .sexy.
Chris Chena started buying domains in the late '90s. One of his notable sales includes the domain "shop.com" which sold for around $3.5 million.
Yun Ye, a relatively secretive domain investor, amassed a huge portfolio of premium .com domains. He made headlines in 2004 when he sold his portfolio of about 100,000 domains to Marchex for $164 million.
Michael Berkens co-founded WorldWide Media, which had a portfolio of more than 75,000 domain names. One of his most notable sales was "meet.me" which sold for $450,000.
Andrew Rosener is the CEO of MediaOptions, a domain brokerage firm. He has brokered some of the industry's largest domain name sales, such as "x.com" to Elon Musk.
Ali Zandi is a well-known domain investor who has had success both in buying and selling domains. He sold the domain "Freedom.com" for $2 million in 2017.
