In a stunning move, the artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser. The surprising bid comes as the U.S. Department of Justice is pushing for Google to sell off its famous browser as part of a major antitrust case.
The DOJ wants Google to eliminate Chrome to level the playing field for search competitors. The agency argues that Google’s control over the world’s most popular browser gives it an unfair monopoly. Perplexity is now trying to capitalize on that pressure with its bold offer.
Perplexity is a fast-growing AI startup best known for its search engine that gives simple, direct answers to questions. It even recently launched its AI-powered browser called Comet. The $34.5 billion offer is more than double Perplexity’s current $18 billion valuation, but the company says it has investors lined up to back the deal.
This isn’t the first time Perplexity has made an audacious move. The startup previously submitted a proposal to merge with the social media giant TikTok. The bid for Chrome, however, is perfectly timed to take advantage of Google’s legal troubles.
So far, Google has called the DOJ’s proposal to sell Chrome “wildly overbroad” and has not yet said how it plans to respond to the antitrust ruling. Perplexity’s bid now adds a new layer of pressure and intrigue to one of the biggest legal battles in the tech world.
