Imagine waking up one morning to discover you’re the owner of google.com — the most visited website on Earth. Sounds impossible?
But in a bizarre twist of digital fate, one ex-Google employee briefly became the owner of the internet’s most powerful domain — google.com — for just $12. Yes, it really happened. And it lasted exactly one minute.
This is the true story of how a man from India momentarily owned the internet’s most valuable address, turned it into a feel-good moment for thousands of children, and left a glitch in tech history that people still talk about today.
The Crazy Story Behind the Internet’s Most Bizarre Domain Flip
On September 29, 2015, Sanmay Ved, a former Google employee, was casually browsing the Google Domains platform at 1:20 AM Eastern Time. As he explored the interface out of curiosity, he typed in “google.com” — and to his utter disbelief, it showed up as available for purchase.
Curiosity got the better of him: Thinking it was an error, he proceeded to add the domain to his cart. But what happened next stunned him, the domain successfully appeared in his cart,he placed it in his cart, clicked checkout, and paid $12. His credit card was charged, and for roughly 60 seconds, he technically owned one of the most valuable domain names in the world.
“I was hoping I would get an error saying the transaction didn’t go through, but I was able to complete the purchase, and my credit card was actually charged!” Sanmay wrote.
“My Search Console was auto-updated with webmaster-related messages for google.com, which only happens if you’re the verified owner.”
His domain order history confirmed the transaction, and for one surreal minute, he owned Google.com.
Sanmay expected an error to pop up at some point, but instead, his credit card was charged, and he immediately received confirmation emails from Google. Even more surprisingly, his Google Search Console auto-updated with admin-level messages related to google.com, something that only verified domain owners receive.
“Ownership had clearly been granted to me,” Sanmay wrote in his original LinkedIn post.
He even began receiving notifications for websites hosted under Google Sites, which are subdomains of google.com. Everything confirmed that the domain was indeed in his control — albeit briefly.
But real domain ownership wasn’t transferred — it was just a glitch in Google’s system. The moment Google caught wind of it, they immediately reversed the sale and refunded Ved’s $12
How Did Google Let This Happen?
After just a minute of ownership, Sanmay received an order cancellation email. Because the domain registrar was Google Domains itself, the company had the authority to quickly reverse the transaction.
This wasn’t the first time a company slipped up like this — Sanmay compared it to a 2003 incident where Microsoft forgot to renew their Hotmail UK domain, but unlike that situation, Google had full control over their registrar, making a reversal possible.
An Ethical Response and a Reward
Sanmay didn’t exploit the situation. He didn’t brag, hack, or sell access. Instead, he responsibly reported the incident to Google Security.
A few days later, Google responded with a bug bounty reward, offering him a sum (undisclosed publicly) as a thank-you for alerting them. But Sanmay took the high road.
“I told them it was never about the money,” he said. “I requested that the reward be donated to the Art of Living India Foundation.”
Google was so moved that they doubled the donation amount.
From $12 to 39,000 Kids Helped
The charity donation was directed to Art of Living’s free education program, which runs 404 free schools across 18 Indian states, serving over 39,000 underprivileged children.
So a tech glitch that could’ve been a disaster became a heartwarming act of global goodwill.
What This Teaches Us (Beyond the $12)
1. Even giants stumble
No company is immune to simple errors — even Google.
2. Bug bounty culture pays off
Reporting issues ethically can lead to meaningful rewards.
3. Transparency builds trust
Google handled it quickly and honestly — earning praise instead of scandal.
4. One person’s ethics can make global impact
Sanmay’s response turned a digital mishap into a powerful charitable gesture.
From Reddit: Community Voices
Reddit users had a field day unpacking the event:
“A former Google employee was playing with the Google Domains site … he did get some system notices while the system tried to get it for him.”
“That’s what the many clickbait articles that were written at the time claim, but it’s simply not true.” Reddit
— Which just fueled even more attention and chatter.
A Domain Debacle Worth Remembering
For just $12, Sanmay Ved became the (unofficial) owner of google.com, then turned what could have been scandal into a heartwarming story of integrity.
If there’s one takeaway, it’s this: even the smallest actions—like reporting a glitch—can trigger massive ripple effects. In this case, a tech hiccup turned into a memorable tale about honesty, a quirky human moment, and a reminder that we’re all just one click away from an internet legend.
Highlights
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