On August 12, 2025, Perplexity AI, a US-based AI startup, submitted an unsolicited all-cash offer of $34.5 billion to Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, to acquire Google's Chrome browser. This move comes as Google faces potential divestiture of Chrome as part of the antitrust case it lost in 2024. In 2024, the US Department of Justice ruled that Google had illegally monopolized the search market and proposed the sale of Chrome as one of the remedies to restore competition. Perplexity's bid appears to capitalize on this regulatory uncertainty, aiming to challenge Google's dominance in the search market.

Key Details of the Acquisition Offer

Perplexity's offer of $34.5 billion significantly exceeds its own valuation of approximately $18 billion. However, the company claims to have secured full financial backing from several large venture capital funds. Perplexity has pledged to maintain the open-source status of Chromium, the underlying project of Chrome, and invest $3 billion in Chrome's maintenance and development over the next two years. Additionally, Google Search would remain the default search engine for Chrome, with users retaining the option to change their preferences.

Market and Industry Reactions

Perplexity's acquisition proposal has garnered significant attention from the market. Despite the ambitious nature of the bid, analysts generally consider the likelihood of success to be low. The $34.5 billion offer is well below the estimated market value of Chrome, which some analysts believe could range from $50 billion to $100 billion. Furthermore, Google has not shown any intention of selling Chrome and plans to appeal the antitrust ruling. Other potential bidders, including OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management, have also expressed interest in Chrome, which could intensify competition.

Conclusion

Perplexity AI's bid to acquire Google's Chrome browser is undoubtedly a bold and ambitious move. Although the offer has garnered support from investors, the transaction faces significant hurdles, including Google's market position, antitrust scrutiny, and intense competition. The outcome remains highly uncertain, but the bid highlights the growing ambitions of AI startups to challenge established tech giants.

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