Founder and entrepreneur Owen Morton joined the rarefied ranks with his purchase of Owen.com for $420,000, assisted by GoDaddy. For Morton, this wasn't a vanity project—he saw the potential of a global brand that only an ultra-premium domain unlocks.
Owning your first-name.com is something many of us have thought about, but for most, it's out of reach. Founder and entrepreneur Owen Morton joined the rarefied ranks with his purchase of Owen.com for $420,000, assisted by GoDaddy. For Morton, this wasn't a vanity project. He saw the potential of a global brand that only an ultra-premium domain unlocks.
Becoming Owen Morton
For the past 15 years, Morton has built businesses in the fintech, crypto, and trading industries, used by more than 2.5 million traders worldwide. With over 30 brands launched, including an eight-figure exit in 2019, Morton began to dedicate more time to his personal brand, OwenMorton.com. The site was Morton's place to share his story, his successes, and his blueprint for scaling businesses.
"It allowed me to centralize my ecosystem, connect with entrepreneurs, and position myself as a thought leader in fintech and business growth."
As you might expect with Morton's business history, OwenMorton.com grew quickly and soon the site became a global presence. To unlock the next stage of business growth, Morton set his sights on Owen.com.
Acquiring Owen.com, with an assist from GoDaddy
Securing Owen.com was no easy task, so Morton called on GoDaddy's Domain Broker Service, the leading domain broker worldwide, with broker Tom McCarthy guiding the deal from beginning to end.
"They navigated valuation, seller expectations, and deal structure professionally. Large acquisitions need intermediaries. It made the outcome faster and cleaner."
Still, as with many ultra-premium domain purchases, the process took several months, with discreet negotiations expertly handled by McCarthy. Before engaging a broker, Morton evaluated the domain's value to him and the potential uplift it would provide his growing brand.
Evaluation Criteria
Morton looked at:
- First-name.com sales: Comparative data from sources such as DNJournal to help judge the scale of budget needed to acquire a domain like Owen.com
- Projected traffic lift: From type-in and brand search
- Conversion uplift: From increased trust and authority
- Long-term reputation and recruiting: The long-tail impact of an ultra-premium domain, which compounds over time
Expected Impact
Along with this, Morton expected Owen.com to solve several perceived problems immediately:
- Credibility: "A one-word .com instantly elevates brand trust."
- PR + media: "Journalists, partners, and investors take you more seriously when your domain signals you're operating at a global level."
- Long-term brand equity: "I'm building a legacy brand, and the domain needed to match that vision."
"Owen.com is a once-in-a-lifetime digital asset. I knew the upside would outweigh the cost over the next decade."
To accelerate a brand's growth, many companies at this stage would double down on marketing. Morton chose instead to augment his online identity:
"Marketing is temporary. Strategy changes constantly. A domain is permanent. A premium domain sits at the top of your funnel forever."
Following the lengthy negotiation process Morton acquired Owen.com in a $420,000 deal. A swift transaction and transfer saw Owen.com landed in Morton's GoDaddy account quickly, ready for him to begin using.
Building on Owen.com
Immediately, his followers and the wider community noticed.
"People saw it as a statement of intent, a signal that I'm building something global, long-term, and serious. It created a wave of respect, excitement, and curiosity across the fintech and entrepreneurship communities."
Importantly, key metrics moved, too.
"The biggest lifts were in direct traffic (type-ins increased instantly), email sign-ups, time on page, and partner requests; more inbound interest from founders and fintech operators."
Over the course of two years, Morton built Owen.com into a community of over 28,000 entrepreneurs and gained global visibility for his platform.
The Impact
Reflecting on the domain's impact, Morton noted:
"It elevated everything. Partnerships became easier, my credibility with CEOs, founders, and investors increased, and my funnels convert higher. The domain has paid for itself in intangible value many times over."
Owen.com has provided a foundation for Morton's brand, platform, and community, which is influencing his next steps. Wade Smith, Director of Aftermarket sales at GoDaddy, said "Owen.com is a great example of how founders at this level think about domains. It's not a marketing expense—it's a long-term asset that compounds credibility, inbound demand, and brand equity over time. Our role is to help founders secure domains that truly match the scale of what they're building."
Advice for ultra-premium domain buyers
With over 30 brand launches under his belt and years of ultra-premium domain ownership, Morton has three things that every ultra-premium domain name buyer should know today:
- Think long-term: A premium domain is an asset that compounds for decades
- Use a broker: Negotiating high-value domains requires experience, patience, and structure
- Don't overthink it: If the domain aligns with your name, your brand, or your biggest vision, buy it. The biggest regret founders have is not securing their identity early
Follow Owen Morton's journey on X (@iamowenm). Interested in securing an ultra-premium domain name? DomainNames.com by GoDaddy is the showroom for the world's most valuable domain names, backed by our team of brokers.