On September 30, investor Adam Cochran posted a 15-part thread on X. He argued that people close to President Trump bought Slovenia's .si domains before the White House renamed AI "Super Intelligence." His opening post said insiders "seem to have profited MILLIONS off of .si domain names." The thread spread quickly, and news outlets picked it up within hours.
We run a .si marketplace, so we follow this extension every day. This post sorts out what the public data confirms and what it doesn't, and what that means for anyone buying or selling a .si domain right now.
Post on X · 1/15 · Sept 30, 2026
Adam Cochran's 15-part thread alleging that insiders bought .si domains before Trump's "Super Intelligence" announcements.
— Adam Cochran (@adamscochran) View the post on X →
The claim in 30 seconds
Here is Cochran's argument, in summary:
- Registrations jumped early. .si averaged about 55 new domains a day from 2023 to 2025. On June 24, 2026, it passed 400 in a single day, and July saw more than 7,000.
- Aftermarket sales spiked. From May onward, AI-related names sold for $12,500 to $20,000. Examples include recursive.si, acquire.si, self.si, build.si and bot.si.
- Some names were relisted at huge prices. build.si reportedly sold for $17,435 in June and is now listed at $14,286,000.
- Political names arrived with the AI names. He counts about 12,000 AI- or MAGA-themed .si names registered or resold before the announcement. One is 1776.si, registered through Dynadot on August 13.
- His conclusion. Pointing to the Trump family's ties to Slovenia, he says insiders have made "hundreds of millions of dollars."
Timeline: how .si became "Super Intelligence"
[TIMELINE] JUNE 2024 → SEPT 30, 2026
How .si became “Super Intelligence”: 27 months of investor bets, then 12 days of news
[Phase 1] 27 months · The investor bet
-
2024
The idea
After Ilya Sutskever founds Safe Superintelligence, domain bloggers pitch .si as
super intelligence.
155,944 .si domains exist. -
2026
Investors buy
Of 35 public .si sales, most involve domain investors. One investor in China accounts for 43%.
-
2026
$20,000 sale
Recursive.si sells to the AI company Recursive, one of only two clear end-user buys.
-
2026
~190,000 .si
An archived copy of Register.si shows about 190,000 .si registrations.
[Phase 2] 12 days · The announcements
-
Day 1
Truth Social poll
Trump offers new names for AI. About 65% vote
super intelligence.
-
Day 4
UN speech
Trump calls AI
super intelligence
and uses the abbreviation SI. -
Day 11
Executive order
Federal agencies must use
Super Intelligence
andSI.
-
Day 12
Cochran’s thread
A 15-part thread on X alleges insiders profited from .si domains.
BUYSIDOMAIN.COMSOURCES: THEDOMAINS, DOMAIN NAME WIRE, IBTIMES UK, YAHOO NEWS
What the data confirms
The registration surge is real. Netcraft found that new .si registrations outpaced new .ai registrations in the 25 hours after Trump's UN remarks. About 52% of the .si domains it saw registered through Dynadot between the September 19 poll and the UN speech were then listed on Dynadot's aftermarket. They included donaldjtrump.si, superintell.si, boeing.si and unitedstate.si. (IBTimes UK)
The zone grew fast. The .si zone grew more than 15% during September, and the registry charges €10 wholesale per domain. (IBTimes UK)
[DATA] TOTAL .si DOMAINS REGISTERED · 2024–2026
.si registrations grew 19.5% in two years, then more than 15% in one month
Red label: the .si zone grew more than 15% over the whole of September 2026. Columns are not evenly spaced in time.
BUYSIDOMAIN.COMSOURCES: THEDOMAINS, DYNADOT, REGISTER.SI, IBTIMES UK
What the data doesn't show
Who owns the domains. Register.si limits what it publishes about domain holders who are individuals, so the registry records alone can't show who owns a name. Netcraft said it could not tell whether registrants knew about Trump's remarks in advance or were reacting to something else. (IBTimes UK, Yahoo News)
"Hundreds of millions" in profit. Asking prices are not completed sales. Public records of completed sales show deals in the four- and five-figure range, nowhere near hundreds of millions. (IBTimes UK)
[PRICE CHECK] BUILD.SI · ASKING PRICE VS. SALE PRICE
build.si sold for $17,435. It’s now listed at about 820 times that.
1 square = $17,435, what build.si actually sold for. The asking price fills 819.4 of them.
An asking price is what a seller hopes for, not a sale. Public records show .si sales in the four- and five-figure range.
BUYSIDOMAIN.COMSOURCES: ADAM COCHRAN ON X, IBTIMES UK
A Trump family link. IBTimes reviewed the public records and found nothing showing that the Trump family owned the domains, directed their purchase, or received any proceeds. (IBTimes UK)
What the order covers. The order does not require private companies to rebrand, and existing regulations, contracts and historical documents stay as they are. It also gives the President's science adviser 60 days to propose legislative language. (IBTimes UK)
Claims vs. evidence
[FACT CHECK] .si DOMAIN INSIDER CLAIMS · OCT 3, 2026
Six claims about .si domains and the “Super Intelligence” order, checked against public data
✅ 2 confirmed⚠️ 2 partly true❌ 1 not in records❓ 1 unproven
-
✅ Confirmed
.si registrations surged before the order
What we foundRegistry and Netcraft data back this up.
-
✅ Confirmed
.si aftermarket sales spiked in 2026
What we foundMostly investor-to-investor deals.
-
⚠️ Asking price only
build.si is “worth” $14M
What we foundThat figure is a listing price, not a sale.
-
❌ Not in public records
Insiders made hundreds of millions
What we foundPublic sales are four and five figures.
-
❓ Unproven
The buyers are Trump insiders
What we foundOwner details are hidden.
-
⚠️ Partly accurate
The order forces companies to use “SI”
What we foundIt covers federal agencies only.
BUYSIDOMAIN.COMSOURCES: NETCRAFT VIA IBTIMES UK, YAHOO NEWS
The other explanation: investors saw this coming
There's a simpler story that fits the same data. Back in June 2026, Domain Name Wire reported that investors were buying .si because the extension could stand for "superintelligence." Dynadot, the registrar, was openly promoting .si as a low-cost bet on the "super intelligence" idea. Bulk registration of thousands of AI words is normal behavior for domain investors in any trend. (IBTimes UK)
The patriotic names have an ordinary explanation too. 2026 is America's 250th anniversary, so names like "1776" saw new registrations across many extensions this year.
Neither side is proven. A registry or congressional inquiry could settle who owns these names. Until one happens, the insider claim remains an allegation.
What this means if you're buying a .si domain
- Asking price is not value. build.si's listing is roughly 820 times its reported sale price. Check real sales on NameBio before you make an offer.
- Check when the name was registered. Names created in August or September 2026 are most likely speculative stock, and you should negotiate with that in mind.
- Avoid political and trademarked names. Domains like donaldjtrump.si or boeing.si carry legal and dispute risk.
- Always use escrow for aftermarket purchases.
- Buy a name you'd use, not one tied to a headline.
New to .si? Start with SI = Super Intelligence: Why .si Domains Matter Now and our complete .si domain guide.
How to check when a .si domain was registered
- Type the name into our free .si domain checker, which shows the registration date and nameservers. You can also use the Register.si WHOIS (
whois.register.si) or its RDAP service (swap in the domain you're checking). - Read the created date and the registrar.
- If the holder shows "NOT DISCLOSED," the owner is a private individual, which is normal for .si.
FAQ
What did Adam Cochran claim about .si domains?
He alleges that insiders bought thousands of AI- and MAGA-themed .si domains before Trump's "Super Intelligence" announcements and profited from the rush that followed.
Is there proof that Trump insiders bought .si domains?
Not in public records as of October 3, 2026. The owners of most .si domains are hidden.
Is build.si really worth $14 million?
That's what the domain is listed for. It hasn't sold at that price.
Does the executive order require companies to use "SI"?
No. It applies only to federal executive agencies.
How many .si domains are registered?
About 190,000 at the start of September 2026, and the zone grew more than 15% during the month.
Should I buy a .si domain now?
Only at a fair price, and ideally for a name you'll actually use. Prices are swinging with the news right now.
Want a .si domain? Browse premium .si domains for sale or check if the name you want is available.
Sources: Adam Cochran on X · IBTimes UK · Yahoo News · TheDomains (2024) · Dynadot · Cybernews