Perplexity Bids $34.5B for Google Chrome Amid Antitrust Scrutiny

AI firm Perplexity has reportedly put forth a substantial $34.5 billion offer to acquire Google’s widely used Chrome browser. This audacious bid, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, is widely considered a longshot, particularly given that Perplexity itself is currently valued at approximately $18 billion. However, the proposal is deeply rooted in a significant challenge facing Google: an ongoing legal battle where a U.S. judge is contemplating whether Google’s parent company, Alphabet, should be compelled to divest Chrome due to antitrust concerns.

Perplexity has informed the Journal that it has secured commitments from major venture-capital funds to back its ambitious acquisition. The company asserts that its offer is specifically “designed to satisfy an antitrust remedy in highest public interest by placing Chrome with a capable, independent operator.” Despite this stated public interest, Alphabet, under the leadership of CEO Sundar Pichai, has consistently resisted any proposals to sell off its browser. Other prominent tech companies, including OpenAI, have also previously expressed interest in acquiring Chrome, though none have made a public offer of this magnitude.

The context for Perplexity’s bid is Google’s enduring legal struggle with antitrust regulators. The U.S. Justice Department initiated a lawsuit against Google in 2020, alleging monopolistic behavior. In the summer of 2024, U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta delivered a landmark ruling, unequivocally declaring the tech giant a monopoly. Judge Mehta stated at the time that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly.” The central question now revolves around the appropriate remedy for this established market dominance.

Chrome’s sheer scale underscores the stakes of this legal battle; it boasts approximately 3.5 billion users globally, an extraordinary market share given the planet’s total population of about 8.1 billion. Perplexity, a company at the forefront of AI innovation, recently launched its own browser, Comet, which integrates advanced generative artificial intelligence features directly into the browsing experience. Yet, the broader tech community remains divided on whether traditional web browsers will even be relevant platforms for AI in the future, with some futurists predicting their obsolescence within a decade. Moreover, AI skeptics frequently highlight the current unreliability of AI systems when confronted with complex or nuanced queries.

Antitrust scrutiny against Google has intensified in recent years, with significant actions taken by regulators in both Europe and the United States. In 2023, the U.S. Justice Department accused Google of “anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct,” with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasizing that these lawsuits aim to protect consumers and safeguard market competition. Judge Mehta is anticipated to issue a ruling on the monopoly remedy later this month. While the specifics of his decision remain uncertain, Perplexity’s audacious offer will undoubtedly factor into his considerations. Neither Google nor Perplexity have publicly commented on the offer to date.