This island of Anguilla makes $3m a month off of AI
Feb 15, 2024
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Learn how the island of Anguilla is making $3m a month off of AI with their .ai domain, the financial benefits and challenges they face, and the impact of vanity domains. Discover the potential of other two-letter domains and get a podcast recommendation.
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Quick takeaways
Anguilla earns $3m per month from their .ai domain, allowing them to pay off debts and cover educator salaries.
Anguilla learned the importance of vetting opportunities and maintaining control over valuable assets through their failed venture with a Taiwan-based company.
Deep dives
The Small Island of Anguilla Profits from the .ai Domain
The island of Anguilla, through a stroke of luck, acquired ownership of the .ai domain, which has turned into a lucrative business for them. Initially making $2.9 million annually from the domains, the territory is now earning $2.9 million per month from sales alone. They expect this number to increase to $6 million per month next year. This unexpected windfall has allowed Anguilla to pay off debts and cover the salaries of educators.
Early Challenges and Lessons Learned from .ai Domains
There were some challenges along the way for Anguilla with their .ai domain. They made the decision to hand over admin control of the domain registry to a Taiwan-based company, hoping to capitalize on the Mandarin word for love. However, that endeavor failed, and they eventually reclaimed ownership of the domains. This experience taught them the importance of carefully vetting opportunities and maintaining control over valuable assets.
Other Countries with Successful Domain Stories
Anguilla is not the only country to benefit from the success of a domain. Tuvalu, with its .tv domain, accounted for about 10% of its government revenue in the first 20 years. These stories show how vanity domains can bring unexpected financial gains to countries and territories.
The nation of Anguilla, a 35-square-mile island seemingly stumbled into a domain name gold mine. Having the country web domain of .ai, Anguilla is benefitting greatly from the tech world and any entrepreneur looking to brand their sites for AI. How much does the island earn and what do they spend it all on?
Join our hosts Jon Weigell and Ben Berkley, as they take you through our most interesting stories of the day.
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