Perplexity’s Bold Move: $34.5B Bid That Could Take Chrome from Google

Perplexity Offers $34.5B to Buy Google Chrome as Antitrust Case Puts Pressure on Google’s Search Monopoly

AI startup Perplexity has shocked the tech world with a huge offer to buy Google Chrome. Perplexity offers a bold bid to buy Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion. The offer arrives as US antitrust regulators explore forcing Google to divest its popular browser.

Perplexity sent the unsolicited, all-cash proposal early Tuesday to Alphabet. The startup plans to finance the deal with support from unnamed investment funds.

A Bold Offer Backed by Unnamed Investors

The offer dwarfs Perplexity’s own value, previously pegged at around $14 billion and $18 billion. Yet the company insists multiple large investors pledged full financing for the bid.

The timing is not random. Google is facing an antitrust case in the United States. Regulators accuse the company of running an illegal monopoly in online search. One possible solution being discussed is forcing Google to sell Chrome. A judge is expected to give a decision on this soon.

Perplexity frames the proposal as a remedy in the antitrust case. The US Department of Justice and a federal judge have pressed for divestiture of Chrome to curb Google’s dominance in search.

Perplexity, based in San Francisco, is valued at around $18 billion but says it has secured enough investor funding to cover the deal. The company did not reveal the names of these investors.

The startup pledged a $3 billion investment over two years to support Chrome’s infrastructure and its workforce. Perplexity voiced commitment to preserving Chromium as open source and leaving Google as the default search engine.

AI Ambitions and Industry Reactions

Perplexity has already created an AI browser named Comet. It positions the bid as a way to scale its technology offering, using Chrome’s 3 billion user base. OpenAI and other entities have also shown interest in acquiring Chrome, should divestiture proceed.

This is not the first bold step from Perplexity. Earlier this year, it offered to merge with TikTok’s US operations to avoid a possible ban on the app.

Some experts believe Chrome could be worth at least $50 billion, much higher than Perplexity’s offer. They also think Google will fight hard to keep Chrome because it is a key part of its search and AI plans. Experts question whether unnamed investors will follow through.

Others see Perplexity’s move as a smart way to get global attention, even if the deal never happens. Some observers label the bid a savvy PR move. It raises Perplexity’s visibility and promotes its Comet browser. The company’s bid puts it in the middle of the discussion about the future of browsers, AI, antitrust, and fair competition in tech.

Google has not responded and appears unlikely to accept the bid soon. The company plans to appeal the antitrust ruling. A final decision on remedies remains pending.

This unexpected bid thrusts Chrome’s role in AI and search into sharp relief. Perplexity’s offer may never succeed, yet it has already reshaped the conversation - highlighting how antitrust developments are catalyzing bold strategic moves in tech.

So for now, Google has not commented on the offer. The antitrust case could take years if it goes through appeals. But one thing is clear - this $34.5 billion Perplexity Chrome Offer has made Chrome’s future a hot topic in the tech world.