One Planet, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, has launched California.com — a website dedicated to showcasing the best of California. One Planet is led by CEO Payam Zamani, a Baha’i refugee who fled Iran in 1988 and sought refuge in California. Thirty-two years later, Zamani built California.com to showcase the beauty, diversity, and freedom the state has to offer.
The new digital publication combines editorial content, photo essays, travel guides, and profiles California’s prominent businesses and people. The site was designed to be both informational and inspirational, featuring lifestyle content aimed to spark curiosity and encourage exploration. Its message seems to be resonating, as California.com quickly gained more than 1M followers on Facebook and 140k followers on Instagram.
The California.com domain name, acquired in a package deal with nine others for an undisclosed mid-seven figure amount, represents one of the most expensive domain transactions in recent history. The deal included three domain names that previously featured sexual content: CaliforniaSex.com, CaliforniaGirls.com, and Californication.com. However, rather than reselling the names, One Planet intends to re-purpose them as sites that promote equality, highlight the exploitation of women, and advocate for the oneness of humanity.