Perplexity wants to buy Google Chrome for $34.5 billion
The AI startup Perplexity has surprised the tech world by proposing $34.5 billion to acquire Google Chrome, the world’s most widely used browser. The offer, revealed by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, well exceeds Perplexity’s own valuation, estimated at $18 billion.
According to a company spokesperson, the offer was made on Tuesday, a few months after Perplexity stated its intention to pursue the acquisition of Chrome should the government compel Google to divest its browser.
A bold… yet unlikely move for Perplexity
Google has never indicated it is willing to sell Chrome, and no court has mandated such a divestiture so far. Nonetheless, Perplexity appears to be taking the initiative.
Dmitry Shevelenko, the company’s sales director, told Bloomberg that several major investment funds have agreed to fully finance the deal. Moreover, Perplexity has promised to invest over $3 billion into Chrome and its open-source engine, Chromium, over the next two years if Google accepts the sale.
Not the first surprise acquisition attempt
This offer is not an isolated incident. Earlier this year, Perplexity also attempted to acquire TikTok, another digital giant, although that initiative did not materialize.
The company, known for its AI-based search engine, is also developing Comet, a browser that leverages artificial intelligence as a core tool for browsing and searching, positioning itself directly against Google.
Why does Chrome interest Perplexity?
Chrome is currently the dominant browser, capturing over 60% of the market share according to StatCounter. Acquiring it would provide Perplexity with:
- Direct access to hundreds of millions of users.
- A solid foundation to integrate its AI technologies on a large scale.
- Control over Chromium, which is also used by Microsoft Edge, Brave, and Opera.
However, such an acquisition would raise significant regulatory questions regarding competition and data protection.
An unlikely scenario… but telling
Even if the offer is unlikely to succeed, it highlights Perplexity’s aggressive strategy to position itself as a major player against giants like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. The company is capitalizing on the growing trend of combining AI and web browsing, a market that could become worth tens of billions in the coming years.
