In computing, “root” symbolizes ultimate authority. The Root.com domain, reflecting this core concept, sold for $1.3 million, and the reason behind its sale is a storied history deeply tied to the Unix operating system.
When the domain was registered for free in early 1994, it was originally registranted by David Greenman (DG), co-founder of FreeBSD (a Unix offshoot). In 1999, DG created content on Root.com to promote FreeBSD. In 2001, the domain name switched to Tera Solutions, the RAID systems company where he served as president. In 2003, it was rebranded to Download Technologies, a subsidiary of the company. The website’s style remained virtually unchanged for over 20 years.
In November 2004, Root.com was sold to M. Darren Root’s accounting firm, which held it until 2022. That same year, Root, Inc., an insurance company founded in 2015, acquired it, and in March, the domain name was forwarded to its original official website, JoinRoot.com. According to Root, Inc.’s financial statements, the domain was purchased in March 2022 for $1.3 million, including transaction costs, and is recognized within “Other Assets” on the consolidated balance sheet.
From a symbol of the core concepts of the Unix system to a brand asset for an insurance technology company, Root.com not only demonstrates the value of top-level .com domain names with its seven-figure transaction, but also, with nearly 30 years of circulation, has become a “digital specimen” of the cross-border heritage of technology and business.
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