Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited offer to purchase Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion in cash. This move is tied to an ongoing antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. against Google, where regulators might force the tech giant to sell the popular browser.
Currently valued at around $18 billion, Perplexity AI is pitching itself as a serious buyer if courts order Google to divest Chrome. The browser controls over 60% of the global market and has about 3.5 billion users worldwide. Quite a hefty chunk, right?
Perplexity’s proposal includes keeping Chrome’s underlying Chromium project open-source, retaining Google as the default search engine but allowing users to choose others, and investing heavily in Chrome’s development. That sounds like a respectful nod to what users already appreciate about Chrome… but it also raises the question: would Perplexity be able to maintain that balance?
Google hasn’t shown any interest in selling Chrome so far. The offer arrives while U.S. courts consider remedies in the Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google, which could force the sale of Chrome. Analysts think the deal probably won’t happen, considering Google’s current stance.
Interestingly, Perplexity’s bid is more than double its valuation. That’s an aggressive approach for a company still building its presence. It’s kinda bold.
Just weeks ago, Perplexity launched Comet, its AI-powered web browser designed to compete with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. Maybe that’s what they were going for, positioning themselves as a major player in the browser space by offering to buy the biggest fish.
Wow, an AI company preparing to buy one of the most widely used browsers? That’s something you don’t see every day. What will happen next stays to be seen, but it’s undoubtedly a fascinating chapter in the tech and gaming ecosystem.
