A New York man purchased HarrisWalz.com in 2020 for $10 and sold it for $15,000 after Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate.
When Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her presidential running mate, it was a surprise move that sent shockwaves through the political world. But for one Brooklyn-based "cybersquatter," it was a moment of pure profit.
In 2020, 36-year-old Jeremy Green Eche purchased HarrisWalz.com for around $10 with the hopes of making a quick buck if the two politicians teamed up. On Tuesday, he sold the domain to a Harris supporter for $15,000.
The Savvy Brooklyn Cybersquatter Who Cashed In on Kamala Harris' Vice Presidential Pick
Eche, a self-proclaimed "cybersquatter," routinely purchases domain names that correspond with potential political campaigns. He's made a decent return on his investments, including $15,000 for ClintonKaine.com during the 2016 presidential election.
"I'm fine with that word, ['cybersquatting'], although other people who buy domain names get mad at me for saying that. They say I should use 'domain investor,'" Eche told Fox News Digital. "I'm buying these domains with politicians' names in them – I think it meets the definition of cybersquatting… but arguably, this brand, ‘Harris Walz,’ didn't exist until yesterday."
The Savvy Brooklyn Cybersquatter Who Cashed In on Kamala Harris' Vice Presidential Pick
Eche explained that domain name disputes can be lengthy and costly to resolve, especially for presidential campaigns.
"It's something that someone can take you to domain mediation for," he said. "It's just that it takes so long and it costs so much money to seize a domain from a cybersquatter that it doesn't make sense for a presidential campaign to do it – they would spend more than $15,000, and the campaign would have been over."
The Savvy Brooklyn Cybersquatter Who Cashed In on Kamala Harris' Vice Presidential Pick
Eche purchased HarrisWalz.com in August 2020, combining her name with "every sort of folksy white man [he] could think of who was big at the time." Other combinations included Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, and Washington Governor Jay Inslee.
The Brooklyn native keeps up with politics and is a member of New York City's Democratic Socialists of America chapter. He also credits his experience as an autograph dealer for inspiring his domain name investment strategy.
The Savvy Brooklyn Cybersquatter Who Cashed In on Kamala Harris' Vice Presidential Pick
"I would get Obama to sign five of his books at once and sell them on eBay for $500 or so each," Eche said. "It occurred to me that I could do something similar with domains."
On Tuesday, Eche sold HarrisWalz.com to a "seemingly random person with no connection to either campaign" for $15,000. The buyer reportedly stated that he was a Harris supporter and purchased the domain to prevent the Trump campaign from acquiring it, as they did with ClintonKaine.com in 2016.
Eche is confident in his decision to continue investing in political domain names.
"Not only are these domains valuable for the 2024 election, but they will also retain their value in 2028 if Harris runs in that year," he wrote on his online marketplace, where he is currently selling the domains. "This makes them an excellent investment."
Eche has anticipated Colorado Governor Jared Polis, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, and Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth as potential running mates for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer if she runs for president in the future, and is asking for $9,900 for each of those domains.
"I picked up a bunch of Walz domains, too," Eche said. "Anyone who's chosen as a vice presidential running mate is a de facto contender for the presidency later on."
The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
