The domain SmallBets.com was acquired by entrepreneur Daniel Vassallo, in what appears to be a domain or cash plus domains exchange.
Vassallo has upgraded his business domain to SmallBets.com, a platform to network with other startup founders, from the lesser domain SmallBets.co.
According to Daniel Vassallo, the transaction involved the exchange of the domain with other domains. The seller, domain investor Francois Carrillo, sought up to $300,000 dollars for the domain in the past, all while Vassallo’s biggest offer was $80,000 dollars. Negotiations stalled for the better part of two years and the sale concluded at the end of 2023.
The domain is listed for sale at Afternic still, with a $200,000 dollar minimum offer.
There is no information about the specific domains, or the amount of cash along with domains, that were given in exchange. We would assume that Francois received domains of equal value, perhaps a portfolio of short or generic .com domains.
All is well when it ends well and this two year saga contains several lessons, some of which were shared by Daniel Vassallo in a fresh thread on Twitter:
But just before the end of the year, we managed to get this .com by trading other domains for it. This was a bizarre experience with some drama, but it worked out well and the seller was very helpful.
Patience is not my best virtue, but it paid off. And we saved a lot of money.
— Daniel Vassallo (@dvassallo) January 15, 2024