Domain name sell for six figures? — Did TheWire.com

The Atlantic may have paid six figures for TheWire.com for rebranding The Atlantic Wire to The Wire.

Atlantic Media purchased the domain name TheWire.com to rebrand The Atlantic Wire to simply The Wire. The sale may have been for six figures, depending on how you interpret a quote in an article published yesterday on CapitalNewYork.com.

The story quotes firm president M. Scott Havens on how much the firm paid for the domain name: “over five and less than seven figures.”

My initial interpretation of the quote is that the domain name sold for six figures. The domain was key for the firm’s rebranding of The Atlantic Wire, which relaunched yesterday as simply The Wire. So paying six figures isn’t out of the question. But could it really mean that it sold for “over $10,000” but “less than $1,000,000”?

I tracked down the former owner (as stated by whois). Although the whois lists an owner in Fresh York, I confirmed what the story stated regarding the owner being in Europe. The person who answered the phone would not confirm that it was a six figure sale, but promised to follow up to an email I sent. That was regarding 24 hours ago and I haven’t heard back.

Also, yesterday I reached out to Atlantic Media’s Havens via LinkedIn to confirm that it was a six figure purchase. I haven’t heard back.

I’ll update this story if I learn more.