In a bold and unexpected move, AI search engine Perplexity has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion cash offer to acquire Google Chrome, Reuters reported.
Perplexity says the offer comes with a pledge to maintain Chrome’s underlying engine, Chromium, as open source, while investing an additional $3 billion into its development. The startup also vows not to alter user defaults, meaning Google would remain the default search engine, rather than switching to Perplexity’s own AI-powered option.
Google has not responded to requests for comment.
The bid follows a March proposal from the U.S. Department of Justice that Google be forced to sell Chrome, after a court ruled the tech giant had illegally maintained a monopoly in online search. The DOJ is expected to set remedy terms soon.
Related: Trump’s Truth Social Launches AI Search Engine Powered by Perplexity
Chrome, which holds a 68% global market share, could attract other bidders if the court orders a sale. Notably, DuckDuckGo’s CEO testified earlier this year that Chrome might be worth “upwards of $50 billion,” suggesting Perplexity’s bid could be a bargain if successful.
Perplexity’s offer is significantly higher than its own valuation of $18 billion and far exceeds the $1.5 billion it has raised from investors to date. The company recently launched its own browser, Comet, and even submitted a bid to merge with TikTok last month, signaling its aggressive growth ambitions in the tech space.
