Sex.com Sale Makes Guiness Book of World Records

CYBERSPACE — The $13 million sale of domain Sex.com has officially made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the "most expensive Internet address domain name."

Purchased by Clover Holdings and, brokered by Sedo, the record-breaking deal beat out amounts paid for Vodka.com, Pizza.com and Russia.com.

"The sale of Sex.com was truly a team effort. We spent about two years with the domain, establishing the relationships, researching and finding the right buyer and managing the domain's transfer," said Kathy Nielsen, director of sales at Sedo.

She added, "We're honored that Sedo was trusted with such a high-value and high-profile sale, and we're ecstatic that it is now being recognized by Guinness World Records as a record-breaking deal."

The desirable domain was originally scooped up by Escom in 2006 for $14 million but was then put up for sale at auction last fall after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The original name was bought by Gary Kremen in 1994 but illegally wrestled away by Stephen Cohen. After a heated legal battle, the courts awarded the domain to Kremen in 2000 who then sold it to Escom.

The site is currently being used as a placeholder for ads and sees 125,000 visits a day, according to its mysterious new owner, who said he is currently deciding on a new business model.

Related:  

Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

German High Court Puts Pornhub, YouPorn 'Network Ban' on Hold

A German high court on Friday temporarily barred a state media regulator from ordering internet providers to cut off access to Aylo-owned adult sites Pornhub and YouPorn in Germany, pending further action by Cypriot and European Union authorities.

Luxembourg Media Regulator Fines LiveJasmin for AV Noncompliance

The Luxembourg Independent Audiovisual Authority (ALIA) has levied a fine of 25,000 euros (approximately $28,000) against webcam platform LiveJasmin for failing to comply with provisions of the country’s Electronic Media Law.

AdultHTML Introduces Subscription Option for Website Owners

AdultHTML has added a subscription option for its web development service, allowing site owners to pay a monthly fee for access to developers and tools.

French Parliament Rejects Ban on Purchase of 'Remote' Sexual Services

The French National Assembly has backed off from a proposal to criminalize the purchase, and/or facilitation by online platforms, of sexual services performed remotely by streamers and custom content creators.

2027 XBIZ Exec Awards Pre-Nominations Period Opens

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the pre-nomination period for the 2027 XBIZ Exec Awards, the adult industry’s preeminent career honors, begins Wednesday and runs through Oct. 14.

Takedown Piracy Reports Infiltration, Monitoring of Mega.nz

Takedown Piracy has reported that it successfully infiltrated Mega.nz folders and identified and removed nearly two million instances of stolen content.

Pornhub Unblocks Australia Users on iOS Devices, Citing Apple AV Effectiveness

Pornhub parent company Aylo on Tuesday announced that users in Australia will once again be able to access the popular site if they are using Apple devices and have confirmed their age through Apple’s Australian age-verification process.

California Governor Signs Bill Limiting CIPA Claims

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill to narrow the scope of the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA), to prevent abusive lawsuits targeting online businesses, including adult websites.

California Enacts Stricter UGC Rules for Adult Sites

Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill to impose tighter compliance standards for user-generated content (UGC) on adult websites accessible in California.

Minister: UK Aims to Begin Enforcing 'Choking' Ban Before Year's End

The U.K. will soon begin enforcement of a new law criminalizing depictions of “non-fatal strangulation” in adult content, according to a Ministry of Justice official.

Show More