It has been reported that the controversial domain name sex.com is ready to be sold for $13million.
In 2006, the domain was bought by Escom LLC from original owner Gary Kremen who registered in domain in 1994, but the domain was quickly stolen by conman Stephen Cohen. In 1999, Kremen recovered the domain after five years in which time Cohen was thought to be making $6million a year from advertising. He was later arrested after fleeing to Mexico soon after a court issued a $65million judgement against him. Escom bought the domain for $12-14million which at the time was the most expensive domain sold.
Bankrupt Escom LLC is now set on selling the domain to Clover Holdings Ltd as they bid the highest of the 12 bidders according to bankruptcy court documents which Escom had filed. Sex.com was set to be sold at auction next week but circumstances have changed since it has been bought privately.
Sedo.com, a domain registry company responsible for handling the sale will take a nice percent of the sale, although the actual figures are unknown.
Not much is known about the Clover Holdings but The Register reported that they are based in Saint Vincent, in the Carribean and that the email they used in official court documents was a @hushmail.com account, known for high security email.
The huge sale puts sex.com at number 2 of the worlds most expensive domains falling behind the number one sale by QuinStreet who bought Insure.com for $16million in 2009.