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Perplexity AI Google Chrome Acquisition Offer of $34.5 billion; What’s Happening?
Perplexity AI Google Chrome Acquisition Offer of $34.5 billion to buy the Google Chrome browser. The action is a part of a contentious legal battle over Google’s monopoly on searches. Perplexity hopes its proposal might influence what remedy is imposed, as the fate of Chrome itself now hangs in the balance.
Who’s Making the Proposal?
The bid comes from Perplexity AI, a fast-growing AI company valued at around $18 billion. Building an offer almost double its own valuation is a daring move—one that has captured global attention.
Why Is This Offer So Unusual?
Funding Imbalance
To now, Perplexity has only raised roughly $1 billion from investors such as SoftBank and Nvidia. Securing $34.5 billion in cash would need vast additional funding, with high risk.
Defying Odds
A three-year-old startup making such a large bid for one of the most powerful internet tools—Chrome, used by billions—is highly unexpected.
What Does Perplexity Promise?
Perplexity wants to show it’s serious and considerate of public interest. The offer includes:
Over two years, $3 billion was invested in Chrome’s development.
preserving the Chromium code’s open source status to allow for continued use and development by other developers.
Preserving default search settings, respecting user choice and existing ad arrangements.
Offering positions to Chrome’s key engineers, to keep the team intact.
These steps aim to reassure regulators and users that Chrome would remain stable and open under new ownership.
Why Now? The Antitrust Battle Explains It
Last year, a U.S. A judge determined that Google had maintained an unlawful monopoly in online search. As a fix, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked for the sale (divestiture) of Chrome. A decision—possibly forcing Google to give up Chrome—is expected soon from Judge Amit Mehta.
Perplexity’s proposal comes just as this ruling is about to land, suggesting it hopes to influence the outcome.
What’s at Stake with Chrome?
Google Chrome is huge. Over three billion users rely on it to browse the web. Not only does Chrome shape how people search, but it also feeds data—like search habits and site visits—that powers Google’s $300 billion advertising business. Having control of Chrome means having a direct path to users.
Google’s control over search and user tracking would be significantly weakened if Chrome were to disappear.
What Do Experts Say?
Baird Research believes the offer undervalues Chrome and is likely more of a PR play to nudge the court or attract others to bid.
Some voices argue that even if Chrome was sold, an independent browser likely couldn’t match the current version’s success—Google’s integration and resources are unmatched.
Google warns that breaking Chrome away would risk innovation, harm smaller developers, and potentially produce inferior products.
Who Is Aravind Srinivas?
The CEO and co-founder of Perplexity AI, Aravind Srinivas, was born in Chennai, India. He studied at IIT Madras, then continued at UC Berkeley in the U.S.
He worked with famed AI researcher Yoshua Bengio, and also had a stint at Google—giving him insight into how search and browsers work.
In 2022, along with colleagues Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, he launched Perplexity AI—an AI-powered search engine that gives real-time, conversational answers.
His background helps explain the ambition behind the bid—he knows the technology and what’s at stake.
What Could Happen Next?
| Scenario | Likely Outcome |
| Court forces Google to sell Chrome | Perplexity or another buyer might try to take over; significant legal and financial hurdles remain. |
| Court rejects divestiture | Google keeps Chrome, and Perplexity’s bid falls flat—perhaps just a bidding strategy. |
| Other buyers emerge | Perplexity may inspire others to make counteroffers, pushing up Chrome’s price. |
| No sale, but regulatory compromise | Google might agree to restrictions without divesting Chrome. |
Final Thoughts
Perplexity made a bold offer to buy Google Chrome, tripling its own valuation in the process.
The offer includes thoughtful promises—open source, continuity, substantial investment—to appear credible and user-focused.
At the same time, the practical hurdles—funding the deal and operating Chrome outside Google—make it appear more symbolic than realistic.
Whether this was a genuine bid or a bold move to enter the spotlight, one thing is clear: it’s shaken up the conversation on how tech giants might be reined in.
Conclusion
In the global conversation about tech power and antitrust, Perplexity AI’s $34.5 billion bid to buy Google Chrome is a headline-grabber. It draws attention to the benefits of Chrome, the extent of Google’s monopoly, and the direction of browser control going forward. Whether it’s a serious proposal or strategic maneuver, it speaks volumes about how even young AI companies are now part of the fight for internet access and fairness.
FAQs : Perplexity AI Google Chrome Acquisition Offer
Q1. What is Perplexity AI’s offer to Google?
Answer: Perplexity AI has made a bold $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire the Google Chrome browser, aiming to show regulators and the public that it can operate Chrome independently while keeping it open-source and user-friendly.
Q2. Why does Perplexity want to buy Google Chrome?
Answer: The bid is linked to an antitrust case against Google, where U.S. regulators are considering forcing Google to sell Chrome. Perplexity hopes its offer will position it as a suitable buyer and highlight alternatives to Google’s monopoly.
Q3. Can Perplexity actually afford this deal?
Answer: Perplexity AI is valued at around $18 billion and has raised about $1 billion in funding so far. To complete a $34.5 billion deal, it would need to secure massive additional financing from investors or partners.
Q4. What will happen to Chrome if the sale goes through?
Answer: Perplexity has promised to keep Chromium open-source, invest $3 billion in Chrome over two years, retain Google’s engineers, and allow users to choose their own default search engine to ensure continuity.
Q5. How likely is Google to sell Chrome?
Answer: Experts believe the sale is highly unlikely unless ordered by a court. Google has opposed divesting Chrome, arguing it would harm innovation, developers, and user experience. The final decision depends on an upcoming U.S. court ruling.
November 20, 2025