Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteElon Musk said he bought back x.com from PayPal in July 2017 because it held great sentimental value. He said he had no plans for the domain at the time. PayPal confirmed the sale but did not disclose the price.
What happened in the 2017 sale?
PayPal sold the x.com domain to Musk, whom the company described as its previous owner. PayPal confirmed the transaction to DomainInvesting; the sale took place during the week before July 11, 2017. The company did not reveal how much Musk paid. XBIZ’s July 11, 2017 report reproduced PayPal spokeswoman Amanda Miller’s statement: “We are delighted to sell the domain x.com back to its previous owner, Elon Musk.”
Musk’s public explanation, quoted by Inc. on July 11, was personal, not a business announcement: “Thanks PayPal for allowing me to buy back X.com! No plans right now, but it has great sentimental value to me.” Inc. reported his statement.
Why did X.com matter to Musk?
X.com was the name of Musk’s online-banking startup. X.com Corporation was incorporated in March 1999 with an intended internet-banking business. On March 30, 2000, it merged with Confinity, whose products included PayPal. The merged company formally adopted the name PayPal, Inc. in February 2001. These milestones are recorded in the company’s SEC filing.
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The domain’s return was therefore a buyback of a web address associated with Musk’s early venture—not the purchase of PayPal or its payment service. The operating company had become PayPal years earlier.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did Musk do with the domain afterward?
Fortune reported on July 14, 2017, that Musk announced x.com was live and that the page displayed a tiny “x.” That is a snapshot of the site that week, not evidence of its current owner, content, or destination. Fortune’s report described the launch at the time.
The cited contemporaneous coverage establishes the sale and Musk’s explanation, but not the price or the domain’s present-day status.
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