Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity has made a bold offer of $34.5 billion to buy Google’s Chrome browser. The company wants to be ready if a U.S. court orders Google to sell Chrome to reduce its dominance in the search market.
The offer was revealed to The Wall Street Journal as U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta considers possible actions. Last year, Judge Mehta ruled that Google had illegally monopolized the search market. He is expected to decide this month whether to force changes, including possibly requiring Google to sell Chrome. Chrome currently has 3.5 billion users and controls over 60% of the global browser market.
Offer Exceeds Perplexity’s Own Value
Perplexity, based in San Francisco, is valued at around $18 billion. The company said that large venture capital investors have agreed to fully fund the deal. Experts estimate Chrome’s value between $20 billion and $50 billion, so Perplexity’s offer falls within that range.
In a letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Perplexity said their bid aims to “satisfy an antitrust remedy in highest public interest by placing Chrome with a capable, independent operator.” They also promised to keep maintaining Chromium, the open-source platform behind Chrome, and keep Google as the default search engine—though users could change their settings.
Google Opposes Forced Sale
Sundar Pichai has argued against selling Chrome or sharing user data. He says these moves would hurt Google’s business, reduce investment in new technology, and cause security problems. Earlier this year, he testified that forced changes could slow the browser’s development.
The U.S. Justice Department’s 2020 antitrust lawsuit against Google also suggests other fixes, like limiting default search deals with device makers and requiring Google to share data with competitors. Google has offered less drastic solutions, such as changing exclusive agreements with Apple, Mozilla, and Android partners.
Perplexity’s Offer Sends a Message
Experts believe Perplexity’s offer shows Judge Mehta that there is a serious buyer for Chrome, which could support the case for making Google sell the browser. Although many legal experts think a forced sale is unlikely, Mehta has said it might be a “cleaner and more elegant” solution compared to other restrictions.
Perplexity started in 2022 and recently launched its own browser called Comet for a small group of users. The company is already involved in legal battles with two News Corp subsidiaries, which have sued over alleged copyright violations.
The court’s decision, expected soon, could shape the future of the search and browser markets. It will also decide if Perplexity’s huge offer moves beyond just a proposal.