In 2015, Google mistakenly put its domain up for sale. When this former employee realized this, he bought it for just $12. Google had no choice but to give him what he wanted. His answer? He didn't ask for $100,000. Not even $100 million. This is what he asked for instead:
At 1:20 AM on September 29, 2015, one of the most visited domains in the world became available. Google.com , the digital gateway of one of the largest technology companies. A domain that receives billions of visits per month. But something was very wrong...
The domain appeared for sale on Google Domains. Not by millions. Not even by thousands. Only $12. Many would have thought it was a mistake. But one man knew it was real...
His name was Sanmay Ved. A former Google employee who worked at the company as an account strategist between 2007 and 2012. That night, while browsing Google Domains, he saw something that shocked him:
I could buy Google.com . So he did what anyone would do: he clicked "add to cart." You entered your card details expecting an error. But then something extraordinary happened...
The purchase is complete. Your card was charged $12. At that time, Ved owned the most valuable domain in the world. And suddenly, he started receiving inside information confirming it was real...
Ved had access to Google Webmaster tools. I could see internal data for sites on Google Sites. He had control over one of the most valuable assets in technology. But instead of taking advantage of it...
Ved immediately informed Google about the error. He owned the domain for about a minute before Google reclaimed it. He could have caused chaos by redirecting traffic. But he chose integrity. And Google had a surprise for him...
Google offered him a reward of $6,006.13 Why such a specific amount? Look closely: the numbers spell "Google" in Leetspeak. But Ved's response left the executives in shock...
He refused the money. He asked Google to donate it to the Art of Living India Foundation, an NGO that operates 1,262 schools. I wanted to help underprivileged children receive an education. Google's reaction?
They doubled the donation. Not because Ved asked for it. But because his act inspired the company. The money now would help twice as many children.