Domain Name Wire | Domain Name News
Domain Name Industry News
5 Comments
Non-profit faces $10 million budget shortfall.
ICANN is laying off 33 staffers, the non-profit domain overseer announced today.
That represents about 7% of the organization’s ranks of 485 positions.
ICANN said it is facing a deficit of $10 million a year, thanks in part to sluggish domain name growth.
In a blog post, the organization stated:
This decision is part of a broader effort to evaluate costs and activities, focusing on resource management, ensuring operational efficiency, and achieving financial sustainability. Other key areas of focus include reviewing travel and meeting costs, optimizing the use of regional offices, exploring opportunities for greater cross-collaboration and process improvements across functions and regions, and evaluating ICANN’s fee structure to ensure it scales realistically with inflation.
That last line is likely to raise eyebrows amongst contracted parties and domain registrants. It suggests that ICANN might consider raising the “taxes” it charges on domain name registrations.
ICANN has faced deficits in the past and even took money from new top level domain name auctions to replenish its coffers.
Categories: Policy & Law
Andrew Allemann has been registering domains for over 25 years and publishing Domain Name Wire since 2005. He has been quoted about his expertise in domain names by The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and NPR. Connect with Andrew: LinkedIn – Twitter/X – Facebook
Stay up-to-date with the latest analysis and news about the domain name industry by joining our mailing list.
No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
says
Maybe they should cut back on their paychecks.
says
The vast majority of ICANN employees do not even remotely earn the eye watering salaries disclosed in the tax filings of the highest paid executives. Most make about 50th to 75th percentile for their position and region they live in, which in LA does not mean a lavish salary. It would be nice on ICANN to report on “average pay for regular employee vs. executives” and I suspect many would be surprised how low the numbers are for the employees. Executives who make 300,000 to 800,000 annually really skews the overall average.
says
Unfortunate timing, since the application window for the ICANN Grant Program closed on May 24. They might have been a good candidate.
says
John have you raised your hand for their CEO role? I think you might shake things up over there. 🙂
says
One thing I’ve learned from years of being my own boss is that I’m a horrible person to work for.
Domain Name Wire is a trade publication for the domain name industry covering topics relevant to domain investors, brand owners, policy makers, domain registrars and registries, and more. Founded in 2005, Domain Name Wire has been cited by Wall Street Journal, New York Times, NPR, and Washington Post. Read More About DNW
Stay up-to-date with the latest analysis and news about the domain name industry by joining our mailing list.
No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
© 2005–2024 Domain Name Wire · DNW and Domain Name Wire are trademarks of Brainstorm Labs, LLC
About The Author
More Stories
Encryption Making Africa Safer: Internet Society Hosts Encryption Advocacy Workshop for African Civil Society
WSIS+20 Reaffirms Multistakeholder Governance and a Lasting IGF
Online Age Restrictions Need Strong Rules and Independent Oversight