Gen Digital Explores Takeover of GoDaddy in Multi-Billion Dollar Move

Gen Digital, the consumer cybersecurity provider behind Norton, Avast, and LifeLock, made an initial takeover approach to domain registrar and web hosting firm GoDaddy in recent weeks, according to a report by the Financial Times relayed by Tech Startups (https://techstartups.com/2026/09/24/norton-maker-gen-digital-in-talks-to-acquire-godaddy-in-potential-takeover-financial-times-reports/). Talks remain in early stages, no financial terms have been disclosed, and neither company has guaranteed that an agreement will materialize.

Public markets reacted immediately to reports of the approach. Shares of GoDaddy rose more than 10% during trading before pausing briefly on volatility triggers, while Gen Digital shares dropped roughly 7%. Prior to the report, Gen Digital had a market capitalization of approximately $15.7 billion, while GoDaddy held a market value of about $12.2 billion.

A transaction of this scale would mark a substantial corporate expansion rather than a bolt-on addition for Gen Digital. Formed in 2022 through the merger of NortonLifeLock and Avast, Gen Digital reported $5 billion in revenue for fiscal 2026 and counted 81 million paid customers as of July across a brand portfolio that also includes MoneyLion.

GoDaddy would provide Gen Digital with direct distribution to small businesses and web creators. GoDaddy currently manages roughly 81 million domain names and serves more than 20 million customers, offering services ranging from domain registration and web hosting to online commerce and email. Combining those services with Gen Digital's product line could create a consolidated pipeline for selling identity protection, privacy tools, and device security directly at the domain setup stage.

The approach arrives as GoDaddy navigates investor questions surrounding the impact of generative artificial intelligence on traditional website creation and hosting. In February, GoDaddy projected full-year revenue below Wall Street estimates, citing slower-than-expected adoption of its AI-driven features. The company also drew attention in December 2021 when activist investor Starboard Value LP disclosed an $800 million, 6.5% stake.

Gen Digital has integrated AI into its own product roadmap, rolling out AI-focused security capabilities and partnering with xAI to bring Grok models to consumer products such as Norton Neo. Whether the preliminary discussions result in a formal merger proposal will depend on financing and further negotiations between both boards.