- Perplexity offers $34.5B to acquire Chrome, keeping Google as default search engine.
- DOJ antitrust case against Google could make divestment likely.
- Chrome acquisition would accelerate Perplexity’s AI and browser expansion.
AI search engine Perplexity has reportedly offered $34.5 billion in cash to acquire Google Chrome, according to Reuters and confirmed by Perplexity to TechCrunch. The unsolicited bid promises to keep Chrome’s underlying engine, Chromium, open source, with an additional $3 billion investment to support the project.
Perplexity is also pledging not to alter Chrome’s user defaults, including Google as the default search engine, signaling an intention to maintain continuity for existing users while expanding its AI search ambitions.
DOJ Pressure Fuels Potential Divestment
The offer follows a Department of Justice proposal in March that Google be forced to sell Chrome, after a federal judge ruled that Google had acted illegally to maintain a monopoly in online search. Google has yet to comment publicly and is preparing to contest the ruling, which may include court-determined remedies later this month.
Perplexity sees a legal opening, believing the court’s decision could set the stage for a major tech industry shake-up. OpenAI had also expressed interest in acquiring Chrome when the DOJ first floated the idea, highlighting the high stakes for AI-driven search companies seeking browser dominance.
Market Implications and Valuation Questions
Chrome currently dominates the browser market, holding 68% share globally, according to Statcounter. DuckDuckGo CEO previously estimated Chrome’s value at $50 billion, suggesting that Perplexity’s offer could be a bargain if it succeeds.
However, the bid far exceeds Perplexity’s current valuation and total funding. The startup has raised about $1.5 billion, including a recent $100 million extension that valued it at $18 billion, according to Bloomberg and PitchBook.
Also Read: Sam Altman Launches Merge Labs Brain-Computer Interface Startup
In parallel, Perplexity is expanding its footprint with the launch of its Comet browser and has reportedly submitted a bid to merge with TikTok, signaling aggressive growth ambitions beyond traditional AI search.
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