Ghost.org: The $33K Domain That Proved the Skeptics Wrong
In 2013, John O'Nolan and his team at Ghost made a decision that attracted immediate skepticism: they spent $33,000 to acquire the domain Ghost.org.
The backlash was swift. Engineers scoffed. Twitter critics called it wasteful. Some claimed they could build the entire Ghost product in a weekend, so why spend $33K on a domain?
Today, more than a decade later, John O'Nolan looks back on that purchase as one of the best investments Ghost ever made.
The Launch of Ghost
Ghost launched as an open-source publishing platform, positioning itself as a simpler, more focused alternative to WordPress. The team needed a domain that reflected their mission and brand identity.
Ghost.com was already owned—and still is, sitting unused in Broadcom's portfolio. So the team turned their attention to Ghost.org, which felt fitting for an open-source project with a community-first ethos.
The $33K Decision
The domain was available, but it wasn't cheap. At $33,000, it represented a significant investment for a young open-source project just starting out.
The seller was Konstantinos Zournas, a domain investor who owned the asset. The negotiation was straightforward: Ghost wanted it, Konstantinos had a price, and they made the deal.
The Backlash
What Ghost didn't anticipate was the immediate pushback from the tech community.
Engineers on Twitter and Hacker News questioned the decision. "Why spend $33K on a domain when you could spend it on development?" they asked. Some claimed they could replicate Ghost's entire product in a short time, implying the money would be better spent elsewhere.
The criticism stung, but the Ghost team held firm. They believed in the value of a strong, memorable domain for building long-term brand credibility.
The Vindication
Fast forward to today, and Ghost has become one of the most popular open-source publishing platforms in the world. Used by major publications, independent creators, and businesses worldwide, Ghost has proven its staying power.
And that $33,000 domain? It has appreciated significantly in value. More importantly, Ghost.org has become synonymous with the platform itself. It's instantly recognizable, easy to remember, and perfectly aligned with the brand's open-source identity.
The Full-Circle Moment
In August 2024, John O'Nolan and Konstantinos Zournas reconnected on social media, acknowledging the success of both the transaction and the product. It was a full-circle moment that highlighted the positive outcomes of the deal for both parties.
Konstantinos got fair value for his domain. Ghost got a foundational asset that has served them for over a decade. And the skeptics? They've been proven wrong.
The Ghost.com Situation
One footnote remains: Ghost.com is still owned by Broadcom, where it sits largely unused. It's a reminder that sometimes the perfect domain isn't available—and sometimes a strong alternative (like .org for an open-source project) can work just as well.
Ghost.org has become the definitive home for the Ghost platform, and users don't think twice about the .org extension. The brand is strong enough that the TLD doesn't matter.
John O'Nolan's reflection on the purchase is clear: despite the initial skepticism, investing in Ghost.org was one of the smartest decisions the company made. The $33,000 that seemed wasteful to critics in 2013 helped build one of the most successful open-source publishing platforms in the world.
And to those engineers who said they could build Ghost in a weekend? They're welcome to try. But they won't have Ghost.org.