My Sale to Godaddy

by

By now I assume you have read the press release that my company Worldwide Media, Inc., more commonly known in the domain community as MostWantedDomains.com, has sold the vast majority of our domain portfolio to GoDaddy/Afternic.

While I can’t get into the details of the transaction, I did want to share some thoughts about the sale and what it means and does not mean about the state of the domain industry in my opinion.

Let me start by saying this transaction was prompted for personal life reasons, not based on any sudden shift in my belief, or feeling about the domain industry or the value of domain names.

This year has been very tough for myself and my wife Judi, who went under a very complicated back (spine) surgery in August. In March Judi began to develop a very painful limp in one of her legs. We spent March-August seeing several doctors around the country to find the best solution with least chance of complications. Long story short, Judi is much better, she no longer limps and is recovering very well, although total recovery time is like a year.

Several years ago you might remember a company, Domain Guardians, started in the domain space to provide for services for domainers who wanted to put a plan in place to manage their domain assets after they passed.

Great idea.

As we know the domain business is very quirky, not really teachable and would involve family members who don’t typically have the detailed knowledge of the business especially including valuation and selling of domain names.

Then a legendary domainer who I respected very much igal Lichtman passed away and I started seeing some of his domains expire, go to auction, etc. (although some people stepped in to help the family) but at that point I decided if a reasonable offer came along, it would be smart to cash out, not burden the Judi and the family, work less and enjoy life more.

Do I believe I could I gotten more money selling domain names individually?

Absolutely.

Do I think GoDaddy will make money off this portfolio?

Yes I do.

Do I think this is the right outcome for my portfolio?

Without question, I’ve had a long-standing relationship with them and I love their approach. They will place a ton of these domains with businesses that will put them to work – exactly what we domain investors want to see.

It’s a win-to-the-third-power transaction.

Simply put, life is short and this it was the perfect time for myself and my family to make a move that doesn’t require working 7 days a week, 365 days a year on the computer.

So now what can you expect from me?

Don’t expect to see me rebuild a huge portfolio of domain names.

There is nothing that restricts me from doing so, but it’s not going to happen.

Sure there will be domains here and there I will buy or bid on at auction, but you’re not going to see me daily in the drop auctions.

On the blog front my plan is not to quit writing at this point, but you will see a lot fewer posts from me.

I’ll continue to share thoughts and stories on Twitter, a lot more often than I will be writing on the blog.

There will come a time where I will pretty much go the way of Mr. Schwartz and go quietly into a different life.

However, for now I’m still involved with RighoftheDot.com and will be working hard on what is shaping up to be a great auction at Namescon to make that a huge success.

We look forward to seeing everyone at Namescon in just over a month.

I’m still very bullish on great domain names as an investment.

As a final note, since Mostwanteddomains.com was included in the sale to Godaddy, I will launching two new sites this week, one for our adult domain names that we retained which will be under the new gTLD; Adult.Domains. The rest of our non-adult inventory we retained, which are mostly new gTLD’s will be under The.Domains.

I know everyone has a ton of questions about the details of the sale but Godaddy is a public company and I’m restricted from saying much more than I have said here.

I want to thank every one of you and there are a ton of people in the industry that have taken some or all of the 18 year ride with me.

About Michael Berkens

Michael Berkens, Esq. is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of TheDomains.com. Michael is also the co-founder of Worldwide Media Inc. which sold around 70K domain to Godaddy.com in December 2015 and now owns around 8K domain names . Michael was also one of the 5 Judges selected for the the Verisign 30th Anniversary .Com contest.

Comments

    • STRIKER says

      I’d say this sale marks a long-term top in domain name resale values.

      2016 will be a most unpleasant year for domain investors – look for median values on premium to ultra-premium domains to plummet by 30% or more over the ensuing 12-24 months.

  3. Ken Bramon says

    I’m very happy to hear your wife is doing well, that is what matters most. I have the utmost respect for how open you are with your professional and personal life, enjoy life and your family.

  8. Sean Sullivan says

    Mike I want to congratulate you and Judi on the sale. I’m personally very happy to hear that you guys will have a lot more time now to spend with your family and one another. The success that both of you have achieved, and worked so hard to achieve, it’s beyond admirable. That said, I think I speak for many when I say that the most impressive part of your story is how willing you guys have continually been to help others, not just those within the industry, but also outside of it. You and Judi have hearts that are bigger than any domain portfolio or bank account could ever be. Congratulations and best wishes for your future endeavors, which hopefully revolve around relaxing.

    Sincerely,

    Erika & Sean Sullivan

  9. Tony says

    Congrats and I’m glad you and Judi are well.

    On a lighter note, you are the poll master. Why not let us have some fun with a poll on how much we think you sold for? No rules against that right?

  10. Nuno Oliveira says

    There is a time in life when we must take such decisions, making more money is far from the most important thing, in the past year I thought the same several times through personal health and family struggles.
    I wish you the best in your personal life and ventures.

  11. Thomas says

    Congrats! Had the same thought when I won a dropped domain in an auction from an owner that passed away last year. Passing on domains to the next generation is pointless unless the person is as involved in the business as you are.

  12. M. Menius says

    Mike, sincere congrats to you. You’ve demonstrated a great entrepreneurial spirit and have been a huge motivation to domainers everywhere by carrying the torch and bringing daily news on the industry. Sincere thanks. Take care!

  13. brian says

    glad to hear judi is doing better.
    and yes – we do not make the rules – we just play by them – whether we like it or not
    bri

  15. Aamir says

    Dear Michael,

    Congratulations on the sale and I wish a complete and speedy recovery for your wife.

    [Quote]Simply put, life is short and this it was the perfect time for myself and my family to make a move that doesn’t require working 7 days a week, 365 days a year on the computer.[/Quote]

    Most of the domainers including myself fails to understand this simple thing and I am glad you made a wise decision. However, there is also a plus side of being a domainer. Back in 2013 when my daughter was born and she stayed at the hospital for 3+ months due to some complications, I took a complete off from the day-to-day work (just replied to sale inquiries)and spend the time with my family and visiting hospital twice daily and staying there for 3-4 hours.

    I love the idea of Domain Guardians but the thing did not materialize. I have a very good friend who can take care of my domains in case anything happens. I am also investing in other conventional instruments so that my family does not have to suffer.

    I request every domainer to have some sort of instructions prepared for operating the domains and bring some balance in work and life. We need to give quality time to our kids, families and loved ones

  16. Ryan says

    I know how hard it is to part with each and every domain. How hard it was to spend 2 hours going back, and forth in auction, the final seconds of the auction ending.

    You made the right move, travel, eat, spend, sleep… Enjoy life, you are retiring as a hall of gamer, nobody can take that away from you.

  22. yvryullin says

    Thank you for generously sharing all the information that has helped so many to prosper and learn, me included.
    Hopefully you will miss the blog and keep writing 🙂
    best wishes on a speed recovery and yes, enjoy the harvest of your success on the new life ….

  23. Bernard Lee says

    Congratulations! I’m happy for your family. Best wishes for whatever life path you choose next.

    I know you’ve said you’re going to continue blogging, but I just want to thank you at this time for your years of honest input and straightforward commentary on the state of this industry. You’ve really helped this industry grow.

    Best,
    Bernard

  26. Patricia Kaehler says

    Happy to see you rearranging your life to
    be able to live it while you can…

    Glad Judi is continuing to improve…

    My educated guess on the portfolio sale
    is that it went for $18.5mil (usd)

    ~Patricia Kaehler — Ohio USA — DomainBELL
    .
    .
    .

    • mark says

      assuming info will be in the filings eventually. but would guess that
      your price guess is likely missing a zero.
      just 100 million dollar names would be 100m.
      this was 70,000 names. and you know there were some really
      valuable names in the mix. not likely they sold for a 250 avg price.

  28. cmac says

    even though i have been often cynical in my comments on this blog you have always been a great inspiration to keep reaching for goals that often seemed unobtainable. may life continue to treat you well. you achieved what so many dream about in this business. you did it all. you’re a legend.

  30. Steve says

    Big congratulations to you, Michael.

    Let me know if I can recommend anyone for Judy. Through my companies, I’ve worked with some of the top physicians in the USA.

    Cheers!

  32. JR says

    Congratulations Mike, a justly deserved reward and validation for all your hard work. Glad to hear that your wife is on the mend, wishing her a speedy recovery. And lastly, thank you for sharing your knowledge and insight over the years.

  33. Mike says

    Congrats! You’ve been a role model and true professional..really a beacon of light for this industry. All the best to you and Judi moving forward.

  34. Joseph Peterson says

    Congratulations, Mike!

    Maybe you’d have made more money by continuing to carry the portfolio and sell off domains individually. But in domaining less, you’ll live more.

    Gotta say, though, the industry won’t feel the same once you begin blogging less frequently. Your collected, cool, dispassionate opinion has always added to our store of information and toned down the excesses of polemics. Most voices in the blogosphere inflame, but yours has mainly had a steadying effect. Glad you won’t vanish altogether!

  36. Rick Schwartz says

    Congrats my friend!!
    You may not be able to disclose the details of the deal at this point in time but when we talk about total career earning from domain names, it has to be approaching 9 figures. Well done pal!!!

  37. Andrew says

    Well done, a decision that’s in the best interest of your family is the right one. Can you say if you contacted them or were they initially in touch with you? All the best.

  39. TED says

    Congrats Michael you are the Mentor and arc angel of Domainers around the globe
    one of the true “fellowSherpas” dot com

  41. Scott says

    Kudos Mike and Judi. Thank you for your passion and commitment to building this vibrant community.

    Cheers,

  42. Ron Jackson says

    Congrats Michael – could not be happier for you and Judi! It’s time to enjoy the fruits of your hard labor over the past two decades – and great for all of us that you will remain on the industry scene – wouldn’t be the same without you and Judi!

  43. Monte Cahn says

    Congrats and Mazel Tov to my good friend and RightOfTheDot business partner! He has worked hard to accumulate this premium domain portfolio and deserves the very best from his blood and sweat! GoDaddy is a great company and will do great with this fresh batch of valuable virtual assets.

  44. Vincent Jacques says

    Congrats Mike, you really deserve it! Congrats Judy on the successful recovery process and for getting your husband back! Learned a lot form you and very appreciative in what you’ve done for the biz Good luck with your new sites. Maybe now I can get you two to come up for a Patriots game!

  45. Dr Domainer says

    Congratulations Mike. I’m sure thousands of amazing domains have been bought by domainers from reading your advise over the years. It’s not going to be the same in the domaining industry! Enjoy life.

  51. Andrea Paladini says

    Congrats for the mega sale and the great timing!
    Huge portfolios are hard to manage (like too big hedge funds) while time is a limited resource.
    Enjoy life! 😀

  54. Ian Ingram says

    This is terrible. While I’m very happy for you both and this is something many of us aspire to one day, to be completely honest, personally, it’s a bit of a bummer. It’s kind of like when you find out your favorite local restaurant owner is relocating to another city. It’s a sad day indeed…

    In all seriousness, even if you post less frequently, we are all EXTREMELY fortunate to have had this blog for so many years. A big percentage of the top articles, comments and insight for our industry came through this site. 🙂

    A little sad for your readers, but nonetheless, big congrats! Relax, both of you stay healthy and maybe write a little now and then. 😉

  55. Tommy Butler says

    Congrats Mike & Judi

    Big thank you for all those posts in years gone by.
    Wishing you both healthy and happy future.

    Going to miss your posts.

    Yours

    Tommy

  57. Dan Rubin says

    Mike – Congrats on the sale. Thanks for being an inspiration to me all these years. My kids also thank you for contributing to their college fund from all of our transactions. Best of health to you and Judi!

    Dan

  59. Luc says

    Congratulations Mike. Well deserved. Wish you and Jodi the best of health and a adventurous retirements.

  60. Chris Sivertsen says

    Let me add my congrats to the roar, and share how pleased I am for you and Judi. I always thought you were the shrewdest domainer in the room Mike. I look forward to seeing more pics of you two with your feet up, enjoying the spoils of all that hard work. Well done!

  62. George Kirikos says

    Congrats, Mike! I think everyone will be keen to read the relevant SEC filings, if/when GoDaddy posts them (perhaps as a footnote in early February, when their next quarterly financial statements are released; or maybe sooner, if the transaction was ‘significant’ enough to trigger an earlier filing).

  64. larry fischer says

    Congrats to one of the smartest, nicest, and down to earth people in this business. But most importantly congratulations to a great friend. We are so happy for you, All the best to Judi and you.

    larry

  65. BullS says

    Health & Wisdom right on!!

    Congrats Mike!
    as I said many times, this Domaining crap should be fun and more fun and no added stress in life.

    enjoy the Moment.

  66. Jeff Libert says

    Sorry to read about Judy’s health issue. Happy to read about her recovery. If this move makes living in the here and now – day to day – easier, less stressful, more fun for you two AND puts your financial house in good order then you’ve hit a homerun and, not that it matters (we’ve never met, tho I’ve posted here a few times), but add me to the list of those who are happy for you two. Live long and prosper.

  67. av says

    Cool story bro.
    I give you 4 weeks and you’ll be so bored out of your mind you’ll start accumulating domains again…
    All you silly monkeys thinking you can ever STOP being domain addict.
    Ha!

    • BullS says

      av- he has been doing this for so many years and have already made money.
      He does not need to do this full time anymore with all the unnecessary stress. Doing part time and at your own choosing is so much fun.
      Now you are the silly monkey!!

  68. Spike says

    Congrats! Everyone needs an exit plan. Did GoDaddy approach you or vice versa? If the former, I wonder if there are planning to buy more domain portfolios.

  70. jose says

    great timing to sell your portfolio!
    i am sad to see our industry “lose” another great domainer but at the same time happy for you for having more time to enjoy life.

  72. DonnyM says

    Great job. Probably 75-100 million would be bargain. Tons of your names got natural traffic and revenue.

    They will probably report it in the Q in 6 months or they may hide it under another line in the Q.
    You will never have enough time to sell it all.

  74. Michael Gilmour says

    Congrats Mike!
    What a great concluding chapter to a fantastic book that you’ve written for your life these last 18 years. I look forward to catching up with you and your beautiful wife at Namescon.

  76. Vincent says

    Congratulation Michael,
    I’m glad your are planning and doing the right thing for your family.

    I always admire you when I see your name mentioned on articles / blogs of how you sold your your name for tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars. Isaid to myself, one day iIm going to be successful like Michael Berken.

    I remember one time, my friend and I thought of a project and we came up with a perfect domain. When I looked it up, it was owned by mostwamteddains. Back then I just started barely buying cheap domains and sold a few, losing money when the renewal time came. I was just learning and wanting to do domaining part time. I made an offer, a few hundred bucks for the wanted domain, and I realized my friend and had zero chance. My friend and I didn’t want to put more money because we weren’t sure of our project. We both had full time work and were just thinking of something that make us income on the side. Later my friend, the programmer got busy and didn’t want to pursue on the project. As for me, I still continued to read and learn more on domaining. Had we pursued the project. I doubt that the project would turn a success. Our idea was kiddish, naive. But I did admired how you can sell your domains so successfully.

    Thanks for sharing info sand tips on your blog. Since I subscribed to this blog, I rember receiving notices of new posts every single day. I can tell you have the smart and the passion for domaining. I hope you will still continue to blog for longer time. Your blog reminds domainers to see the legal side of the industry. I’m afraid without you, more domainers will break the laws. Might end up in prison.

    Glad your wife is getting healthier. You still look young to me on domain Sherpa show. I hope you have much long quality time to enjoy with your family.

  79. Steve says

    Wow – I skimmed through all the comments — all positive.

    Everybody loves you, dude.

    Much health, happiness & laughter for you & Judi!

  83. Ramahn says

    Congrats Mike. Family first!

    Thanks for your knowledge, insight, vision and having an open forum where like minded people can share ideas and help each other out in this industry.

    God bless you and Judi.

  84. Linton Kerr says

    Gotta know when to hold ’em – and know when to fold ’em. Even better to know when enough is enough. Congratulations to both of you and I hope you are both blessed with good enough health to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Wisdom is knowing when to quit. Thanks for sharing so much over the years.

  85. owen frager says

    Congratulations, Mike! I’ve always admired your relationship with Judi in that she really was at your side in the business, a true partner, a true source of strength and support. That makes your journey even more exciting and the prospect of freeing up time and resources to enjoy life together very special indeed.

  87. Den says

    Congrats Mike,

    You’re a good person, smart move with The.Domains, it’s a very nice name almost better than Asset.Domains ;))
    wish health to You and your family, hope wyou will stay focused and continue to write, the community needs you !

  89. Alexander Schubert says

    Guys: He is not dead. He only sold the majority of his current second level domain portfolio. There is a horizon behind the 2nd level – and Mike is one of the very very few domainers who made the trip over into the “new lands”: The new gTLD’s (top-level domains). I wouldn’t be surprised to see him applying for a dozen or so in the 2019/2020 new gTLD application round of ICANN (don’t hold me responsible for that date – in 2004 we also thought the 2012 round was just 4 years away).

    Mike: Congrats on the sale. Congrats on the decision to carve out much more time for you and your family.

    I seriously hope you continue to be at the ICANN meetings.

    Those who try to “guess” the amount of the sale: I guess Mike would LOVE to post that – but if I were GoDaddy I would want it a secret. So I suggest as a sign of respect to the buyer we should refrain from floating numbers. If the number surfaces it is after all Mike who is in hot waters.

  92. Philip Corwin says

    Congratulations Michael. This sounds like the right decision and one that gives you a well deserved return non your labors of the past 18 years.

    I have always appreciated your friendship and your longstanding support for the ICA. I look forward to seeing you at NamesCon. And it is great to hear that Judi is well on the way to recovery.

    All my best wishes, Philip

  93. Paul Kapschock says

    Thank you for sharing all these years.

    I wish you and your wife a blessed new stage in your lives.

    Enjoy!

  95. Alan Dodd says

    Sorry to hear about Judi’s health issues, but glad to hear she’s on the mend.

    Congratulations on your sale to Godaddy. Totally awesome. A just reward for talent and hard work. I see MP3Downloads.net is still part of the collection 🙂

  96. Stu Maloff says

    Michael,

    Congrats on the mega sale! Thanks for helping me with questions regarding my portfolio over the years and for be a leader/pioneer in the domain name industry in general. I’m looking forward to catching up with you and the rest of the South Florida Domainers at Namescon after living in Greece for two years!

  97. Kevin says

    Smart move Mike. Congratulations $$$$$! Hope Judi continues to feel better.

    Will miss your daily posts. By far they are the most informative and well written of all the domain bloggers.

    Kevin

  101. Louise says

    It’s the end-of-the-year charge to Go Daddy – brilliant accounting!

    I see mwd.com is no longer pointing to mostwantedDomains.com. Maybe Mike Berkens is keeping most of his LLL.com to have fun dissolving after the sale.

    Are you still going to participate as a member of ICA? I hope, because you have been a vocal support for the organization, as well as a financial support – thanx for supplying guidance.

  103. Jim Holleran says

    Thanks for everything you have done Michael, both as a friend, a business associate, and for the industry. I know we will be in touch, but I wanted to let everything know what a class act you are , and I can’t thank you enough. You and Judy take that much need rest and my thoughts and prayers go out to you and Judy as she recovers from Surgery!

    Thanks, Jim Hollleran

  106. Morgan Linton says

    Great post Michael and huge congrats! You explained your logic behind this deal so well, I appreciate the journey you have shared with all of us, it has been incredibly inspirational and an honor to know you and Judi over the years.

    This is a major milestone and I look forward to celebrating it together in Vegas or Florida, or both! Thanks for the continued transparency and inspiration!

    P.S. As an industry we are incredibly lucky to have people like Michael, Rick, Frank and many more who share the details of their business publicly to move this industry forward. It’s days like these that make me incredibly proud to be a Domainer.

  109. Doron Vermaat says

    Mike, congratulations on the deal and thank you for everything you’ve done so far for the industry. The primary objective must always be to sell domains, not take them with you the the grave 😉

  110. Ian says

    It actually speaks volumes that they did not want to buy any new gtlds from you and that they didn’t have a problem with you keeping your “great” gtlds. The new g’s are snoozer lozers and they wanted more .com inventory since that is all that people truly want.

  111. Michael Berkens says

    Ian

    “”It actually speaks volumes that they did not want to buy any new gtlds from you””

    That is not factually true

    I think we just didn’t agree on value

  113. Pat Walker says

    Congratulations on Your Great Domain Sale to Godaddy — And Also om letting us know about your future plans… It has always been great getting your “The Domains” Report and keeping us posted on the Latest Temperature of the Domain Market and what is Hot and what is Not…
    Glad to hear about the Great news for your wife and how you worked things out…
    Very Best wishes to You and the Family and if possible do not totally drop out — stop back once in a while — us Domainers need your great info — motivation — and strategies — in this Domain Business !!!

  114. Bill Sweetman says

    Mazel Tov to you, Judi and your four-legged fur babies. This awesome deal couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy. Thank you for all that you have done for our industry … and please don’t completely stop blogging! Looking forward to seeing you in Vegas, which reminds me that I still owe you that drink from about seven years ago, LOL.

  117. SoFreeDomains says

    Your story is touchy Mike, nevertheless, I’m glad that your wife is now fine. I strongly believe we domainers should carry our family, especially children, along because domain names appreciate with time and it will be disheartening, even in grave, to see them drop.

  122. DNSal.es says

    What a smart decision to buy time and then be paid for it. Wishing you and Judi many more wonderful moments to enjoy, and indeed, more friends time too!

  124. Graham Easton says

    Well done Mike. Happy retirement and all the best to you and Judy. Look me up next time you are in Singapore, which you should visit now that you have the time.

    Graham.

  125. Warren Royal says

    Congratulations, Mike and Judi! You guys have been an inspiration to all of us. Well done, and best wishes to both of you!

  128. Bob McGough says

    You’re the best, Michael, and well respected by your colleagues. I’m happy that Judi got the help she needed and is on the mend. Thank you for your guidance this past year. I look forward to meeting you in person at NamesCon. Meanwhile, call on me anytime. Bob

  129. STRIKER says

    After reading your post, my take-away is that while some of them might be interesting vanity domains for cash-strapped businesses, the new GTLD’s are essentially worthless from an investment perspective.

  130. frank.schilling says

    I close my eyes Mike and it’s still 2004 in Del Rey. They are hand rolling cigars in the bar, I have an apple martini in my hand. Judi has the biggest diamonds I’ve ever seen and you have a magnificent silk shirt, some very expensive eyewear and just the appropriate amount of cologne. It feels like yesterday. ; )

    Enjoy your ride into the sunset. I’m not ready to go yet.

    See you in Vegas.

    • Louise says

      It’s true. Scents HAVE to be just the right amount, or else they can be unpleasant . . . or offend, or cause a headache to sensitive people, like me . . . People without money can show class just with good hygiene, washing with soap and water, showering and shampooing regularly. But not doing that, and pouring on the cologne or perfume. It’s like Countess LuAnn De Lesseps sings in her signature song, Money Can’t Buy You Class. Elegance IS learned.

      When it comes to fragrance, $$ doesn’t hurt, though. When I ordered Missoni cologne from eBay, to make a gift to my brother, I thought it would be something really special, and the packaging was nice. But it was nasty. I was buying for the label, I would put my trust. In retrospect it had to be counterfit! Somebody boiled some nasty potion together, and slapped it into a Missoni bottle.

  136. Robert MacGuffie says

    Glad to hear you will not being retiring entirely. Maybe you’ll find some time to do some of those in-depth state-of-the-industry shows on Domain Sherpa. You and Rick have been sorely missed.

    Best Wishes for the holiday season and peace and joy for you and your family in the year ahead.

  139. Adolfo Grego says

    Hi, Mike,
    Just wanted to join in and send you my best wishes and thoughts for this new adventure you are about to begin… Life without domains! Such a big decision to make… I’m sure it wasn’t easy, but I’m also sure that you have enjoyed every minute of it and will keep on enjoying whatever comes your way.
    You have always been a great person and a truly good blogger!
    In glad to hear that Judi is recovering… Please send her my best!
    I hope to see you both in Vegas very soon!

  143. Nile says

    Congratulation on the sale Michael!

    You was my inspiration and wish your wife get more time with you now and get fully recover soon.

  145. Dave Tyrer says

    Hi Mike,

    Thanks so much for your insight (and entertainment) over the years, your blog is simply indispensable.

    And best wishes to Judi for a full recovery.

    You can imagine the shock and hollow feeling when I saw the for sale sign on TheDomains:

    http://www.umron.com/thedomains.html

    I was going to fire off a complaint, but who would I send it to? Tell me it aint so Mike.

    (…Then I thought I can be like that guy who owned google.com for a couple of minutes.)

    Best regards from Dave.

  146. Joe says

    7 years ago I discovered domain names as an industry and TheDomains.com has been my go-to educational resource ever since. Thanks for everything and I hope you will enjoy the fruits of your labor for many, many years to come.

  148. Michael Berkens says

    Dave

    I owned 105 LLL.com all were sold to godaddy including mwd.com, I’m not a member of the forum so can’t see the link, but its fraudulent

    Actually have never offered or sold a domain over there

    • Louise says

      You really made a clean break then, since you could have had fun negotiating prices for all those LLL.coms. There was some discussion about it on DomainInvesting.com – I have to post a link, there!

  150. Matias Padilla says

    Congratulations Michael!!, now you can reduce “work” hours and dedicate more to your family,in the end, family and health are the most important aspects in life. I’m little jelous to be honest hehe, but happy for you, man, I don’t know you in person but I used to watch you in the DomainSherpa shows, too bad you are not there anymore, although after reading your post I understand why.

    Anyway, congrats again! and take care of your family.

  151. Bona Vee says

    Mike, this is really touching. I totally agree with practically ALL that you have said. Due to my personal circumstances, I’ve always planned to go this same way… at the appropriate time. Happy to hear that madam is doing fine. I wish you & your family well, in all your future endeavours. Mike, you came, you saw & you conquered! Remain blessed.

  152. Ebenezer says

    My sincere wishes to both Michael and Judi. Praying for a speedy recovery. I had been following you for the past 10+ years. Appreciate your valuable contribution to the industry and the domain world at large. You had been a great ambassador!

    Hoping for a photo opp at the Namescon!!

    God bless you both.. Enjoy great health and happiness!!

  154. Blain Reinkensmeyer says

    Congrats Mike! Imma miss seeing your more frequent coverage. Will start following you more closely on Twitter. Appreciate all the fantastic work you’ve done in the industry. Best wishes to you and your wife.

  155. Josh Pelissero says

    dnforum thread selling those 60 LLL Mike sold to GD is now ended, apparently a very over enthusiastic broker LOL

  156. Neil Kavanaugh says

    This sounds like an amazing opportunity at the right time for you Mike. Congratulations on an amazing accomplishment decades in the making. All the best to you and Judy and onto the next chapter!

  157. Phil Buckingham says

    Congratulations Mike on your huge decision. So well deserved. It is clearly the right one for both you and Judi . Please give Judi my best and so pleased she is on the mend. Now you can both come over the big pond , pick some apples ,make cider and (maybe) we can discuss Round 2 gTLD plans !

  160. Steve says

    So glad your wife is making improvement first off and glad you will still be doing industry related news. I have been reading your blog and you were inspiration when I started myself with domain in back in 2005. Enjoy the freedom of all your registration work, monkey off your back with that workload.

  161. paul stahura says

    Congratulations on the sale! Glad to hear Judi is recovering, and that you will stay in the biz at least to some degree. & I’m looking forward to seeing you in Vegas…

    • James Halderman says

      MIke – I have appreciated you openness and willing to share your valuable knowledge. At last years Namescon I observed how well you and Judi supported each other and also catch her enthusiasm at the auction. You’re quite the team. Glad to hear that all is going well. Great sale. All the best.