Want Hell? One million may do it

October 27, 2006

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com)—The Internet domain name Hell.com is scheduled to be sold at a live auction Friday, with organizers expecting bids of more than $1 million.

The Internet domain company Moniker will conduct the auction of nearly 325 names that it predicts could generate bids of more than $1 million for some domains, including Hiyieldcd.com, HMO.com, Stockexchanges.com, Digitalcameras.com, and Rentalcarrates.com.

Moniker, a unit of the brand and marketing company Seevast Corp., is auctioning Hell.com, whose founder is Kenneth Aronson.

Aronson describes the domain as a private network “global think-tank” that he considered selling because of all the traffic it has received and all the rumors the name generated.

“Branding experts said the name is recognized more than Coca-Cola,” said Aronson. “It’s so enigmatic and the person who buys it has the potential to make it a very big portal.”

The domain, which Aronson says he won’t sell for less than a million, has become home to a secretive online community that receives nearly 5,000 new visitors daily.

“Hell.com is a variable asset and it’s the opposite of what we need,” said Aronson. “I may even consider withdrawing it because of all the publicity it has received.”

Most of the domain names set to be auctioned are represented by Moniker. Attendees will be allowed to place bids at the live auction or via the Internet in a silent domain auction.

The auction began at 1:30 p.m. ET and is set to end at 5:30 p.m. ET.

“This is a cutting edge company and a cutting edge event that has generated industry excitement,” Lance Podell, CEO of Seevast, said.

“It’s a very large crowd, with well over 500 people including corporate buyers and domain-name buyers.”

The online address is the latest to be put up for sale in a growing market for domain names amid the booming growth of Internet advertising with online giants such as Google (Charts), Yahoo (Charts), Amazon.com (Charts) and eBay (Charts).

Gary Kremen, owner and founder of Match.com, sold Web domain Sex.com for about $12 million earlier this year, while another domain, Diamond.com, was sold for $7.5 million.

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