Registered Agents Inc.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Business services |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Dan Keen |
| Headquarters | Wyoming , United States |
Area served | United States, International |
| Products | Registered agent services, business formation services, domain registration, web hosting |
Registered Agents Inc. (RAI) is an American registered agent company established in 2008 by entrepreneur Dan Keen. Based in Wyoming, RAI focuses on business formation services, assisting with the creation of limited liability companies and corporations while serving as a legal point of contact. From 2019 through 2024, around 266,000 businesses utilized RAI’s Wyoming address for registration, accounting for more than 40% of new incorporations within the state during that timeframe.
The company’s operational model prioritizes confidentiality, frequently concealing the identities of business owners by using its own address and assigning pseudonymous names on formation documents. This practice has drawn media scrutiny due to its role in enabling anonymous company registrations.
In 2024, RAI broadened its international reach by acquiring Epik, a domain registrar and web hosting firm recognized for supporting clients with controversial affiliations, including alt-right organizations.
History
Dan Keen launched RAI in 2008 after moving from landscaping into the business services sector. Initially concentrating on the Pacific Northwest region, Keen expanded RAI into a nationwide provider of registered agent services. The company’s growth has been propelled by targeting states with advantageous tax environments, particularly Wyoming. Wired magazine characterized RAI as a comprehensive resource for forming businesses across U.S. states while maintaining client anonymity through employee pseudonyms used to sign official paperwork.
RAI acts as the registered agent for over 50,000 Wyoming-based companies alone, securing a significant portion of the market in this competitive field.
The firm has encountered criticism for its involvement in facilitating shell companies connected to fraudulent schemes and improper use of COVID-19 relief funds. In 2020, RAI threatened legal action against a Wyoming newspaper following reports linking it to entities that received CARES Act funding despite lacking a physical presence in the state. Investigative reports by prominent media outlets uncovered associations between RAI-registered companies and allegations of money laundering overseas.
Entities registered through RAI have also been implicated in unlawful robocall campaigns targeted by the FCC and cyberattacks against global media organizations. In 2023, Reuters reported that certain LLCs formed via RAI were connected to cybercriminal operations targeting Russian and Somali victims.
By 2023, RAI accounted for 55% of all new corporate registrations in Wyoming—a state that had overtaken Delaware in total incorporations—highlighting its dominant position in the market.
In early 2024, investigations linked RAI-associated companies to falsification of vital records and covert political funding activities. Journalistic inquiries revealed ties between entities formed through RAI and secretive religious groups as well as disinformation efforts related to elections.
Wyoming regulators dissolved multiple RAI-registered firms involved in fraudulent schemes orchestrated by North Korea’s Ministry of Defence, underscoring ongoing challenges related to regulatory oversight and client screening within RAI’s business model.
This multifaceted portfolio illustrates RAI’s competitive strength in offering discreet incorporation solutions while managing heightened regulatory pressures and reputational concerns.
Subsidiaries
In June 2023, RAI completed the acquisition of Epik, a domain registrar and web hosting provider previously recognized for supporting far-right and extremist websites that other companies had rejected. After taking ownership, RAI revised Epik's terms of service to comply with ICANN accreditation requirements, eliminating contentious clients such as Kiwi Farms and Gab to prioritize business-oriented customers, thereby strengthening its market stance and adherence to regulatory standards.
Additionally, RAI holds ownership of Two Barrels LLC, a company focused on software development, and Corporate Tools LLC, which provides services related to managing multiple corporate filings, broadening its range of business service offerings.
See also
References