Perplexity Tables $34.5bn Offer for Google’s Chrome Browser
Artificial intelligence start-up Perplexity has put forward a $34.5bn (£25.6bn) bid to acquire Google’s Chrome, in what would be one of the most unexpected moves in the tech industry this year.
In a letter to Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai, the company argued that shifting Chrome to an independent operator committed to user safety would serve the public interest.
Industry reaction, however, has been sceptical. Tech investor Heath Ahrens described the bid as “a stunt” and “far below” Chrome’s real market worth, noting its vast user base and data reach. Other analysts have questioned whether Chrome is even on the market, estimating its value could be ten times higher than Perplexity’s offer.
Google, which has not signalled any intention to sell, declined to comment. The browser, with more than three billion users worldwide, is a cornerstone of Google’s online dominance — an area already under heavy antitrust scrutiny in the US. A federal judge is expected to rule soon on a case that could force Google to restructure parts of its search business.
Perplexity said that if successful, it would retain Google as Chrome’s default search engine — while allowing users to change settings — and continue supporting Chromium, the open-source framework behind Chrome and other browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Opera.
The San Francisco-based start-up, valued at around $18bn in July, has been rapidly expanding its footprint in the AI space. It recently unveiled Comet, its own AI-powered browser, and earlier this year made an unsuccessful attempt to acquire TikTok’s US operations.
While questions remain over how the bid would be financed, Perplexity maintains the move reflects its “commitment to the open web, user choice, and continuity” for Chrome users.
