In the most unexpected occurrence in the technology space, Sanmay Ved, an ex-Google employee hailing from Mandvi, Gujarat, briefly owned one of the web's most iconic digital assets — Google.com. This bizarre incident happened in September 2015 when Ved was testing out Google's domain-name registration service, Google Domains . What ensued was a sudden but intriguing episode that pointed to a seldom-seen security failure within the firm's internal system.
Ex-Google employee Sanmay Ved accidentally bought Google.com for just Rs 800
In the wee hours of the morning on September 29, 2015, about 1:20 AM Eastern Time, Ved was browsing through Google Domains carelessly when he stumbled upon something extremely surprising: the domain name Google.com was shown to be available for buy. Initially believing this to be an error, he tried going ahead with the transaction just for the heck of it.
To his surprise, the deal went through error-free. He was able to buy Google.com for a paltry $12 (about Rs 800 at that time). The system sent a confirmation email and reflected on his Google Search Console dashboard with domain ownership information, indicating that he was, temporarily at least, the rightful owner of one of the internet's most valuable domains.
Google’s internal systems confirmed Ved’s new status
The confirmation wasn't merely cosmetic. Google's own internal systems confirmed Ved's new status. His Search Console account started getting domain-related alerts, and admin tools belonging to the domain were made available to him.
Later in a LinkedIn post, Ved wrote,
"I was hoping I would see at some point an error that said the transaction didn't go through, but I was able to make the purchase, and my credit card was really charged."
Though his brief ownership only lasted around one minute, it was long enough to prove a serious lapse in Google's domain name management systems.
Google rewards user for reporting domain glitch
Google's security team contacted soon after the event to probe the occurrence and verify the type of transaction. Upon analysis, Google recognised the vulnerability in their system that had put the domain in temporary availability and valued Ved's proper disclosure of the weakness.
As an expression of gratitude, Google granted Ved a financial reward of $6,006.13. The strangely particular sum was not random — it was selected due to the fact that the numbers look like the word "Google" when considered in a different way.
Subsequently, following the revelation that Ved had made the decision to donate the whole reward to charity, the corporation doubled the award, making the total $12,012.26.
Ved donates Google reward to education nonprofit in India
True to his principles, Ved donated the entire sum to the Art of Living India Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides free education to more than 39,200 disadvantaged children in 404 schools in India.
Ved reiterated that his actions were motivated by principle, not by profit, saying: "I don't care about the money. It was never about the money."
The foundation targets a comprehensive methodology to education, developing the body, mind, and spirit of every student. By doing this, Ved not only brought out a serious problem of cybersecurity but also donated to social welfare in a useful way.
Google's security reward program recognises ethical hackers worldwide
This incident brought focus to Google's larger Security Reward Program, which is a scheme aimed at motivating ethical hackers and researchers who identify vulnerabilities in Google's products and services responsibly. At the end of 2015, Google announced that it had rewarded more than $2 million to over 300 people under this scheme. Since its launch in 2010, the program has given away over $6 million in rewards worldwide.
Researchers from various nations — such as the United States, India, Germany, Poland, Brazil, Israel, Romania, China, and Russia — have helped Google's platforms become safer for billions of people.
In an official blog, Google said:
"Our first cash reward to Sanmay – $6,006.13 – read Google, numerically (squint and you'll spot it!). We doubled the sum subsequently when Sanmay gave away his reward money to charity."
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Ex-Google employee Sanmay Ved accidentally bought Google.com for just Rs 800
In the wee hours of the morning on September 29, 2015, about 1:20 AM Eastern Time, Ved was browsing through Google Domains carelessly when he stumbled upon something extremely surprising: the domain name Google.com was shown to be available for buy. Initially believing this to be an error, he tried going ahead with the transaction just for the heck of it.
To his surprise, the deal went through error-free. He was able to buy Google.com for a paltry $12 (about Rs 800 at that time). The system sent a confirmation email and reflected on his Google Search Console dashboard with domain ownership information, indicating that he was, temporarily at least, the rightful owner of one of the internet's most valuable domains.
Google’s internal systems confirmed Ved’s new status
The confirmation wasn't merely cosmetic. Google's own internal systems confirmed Ved's new status. His Search Console account started getting domain-related alerts, and admin tools belonging to the domain were made available to him.
Later in a LinkedIn post, Ved wrote,
"I was hoping I would see at some point an error that said the transaction didn't go through, but I was able to make the purchase, and my credit card was really charged."
Though his brief ownership only lasted around one minute, it was long enough to prove a serious lapse in Google's domain name management systems.
Google rewards user for reporting domain glitch
Google's security team contacted soon after the event to probe the occurrence and verify the type of transaction. Upon analysis, Google recognised the vulnerability in their system that had put the domain in temporary availability and valued Ved's proper disclosure of the weakness.
As an expression of gratitude, Google granted Ved a financial reward of $6,006.13. The strangely particular sum was not random — it was selected due to the fact that the numbers look like the word "Google" when considered in a different way.
Subsequently, following the revelation that Ved had made the decision to donate the whole reward to charity, the corporation doubled the award, making the total $12,012.26.
Ved donates Google reward to education nonprofit in India
True to his principles, Ved donated the entire sum to the Art of Living India Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides free education to more than 39,200 disadvantaged children in 404 schools in India.
Ved reiterated that his actions were motivated by principle, not by profit, saying: "I don't care about the money. It was never about the money."
The foundation targets a comprehensive methodology to education, developing the body, mind, and spirit of every student. By doing this, Ved not only brought out a serious problem of cybersecurity but also donated to social welfare in a useful way.
Google's security reward program recognises ethical hackers worldwide
This incident brought focus to Google's larger Security Reward Program, which is a scheme aimed at motivating ethical hackers and researchers who identify vulnerabilities in Google's products and services responsibly. At the end of 2015, Google announced that it had rewarded more than $2 million to over 300 people under this scheme. Since its launch in 2010, the program has given away over $6 million in rewards worldwide.
Researchers from various nations — such as the United States, India, Germany, Poland, Brazil, Israel, Romania, China, and Russia — have helped Google's platforms become safer for billions of people.
In an official blog, Google said:
"Our first cash reward to Sanmay – $6,006.13 – read Google, numerically (squint and you'll spot it!). We doubled the sum subsequently when Sanmay gave away his reward money to charity."
Also Read | Scientists make touchable holograms a reality — here’s how they work and real-world applications
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