Perplexity AI offers to buy Google Chrome for $34.5B, promising open web. Experts say it’s a PR stunt and undervalues Chrome’s $100B estimated worth
Perplexity AI offers to buy Google Chrome in a surprise $34.5 billion move that has stunned the tech world.
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The AI-powered search company submitted the unsolicited bid amid mounting U.S. antitrust pressure on Google and speculation about the browser’s future.
Backed by tech heavyweights like Jeff Bezos and Nvidia, Perplexity framed its offer as a pledge to restore an open web, boost user choice, and keep Google as Chrome’s default search engine.
“An independent operator could better serve the public,” said CEO Aravind Srinivas, a former Google employee, in a letter to Alphabet.
What’s in the Offer?
- $34.5 billion cash offer to acquire the Chrome browser
- Promise to invest $3 billion into the Chromium open-source project over two years
- Maintain Google search as the default on Chrome
- Support for open web principles and anti-monopoly reform
While Srinivas claimed the move would enhance web neutrality, industry analysts remain skeptical.
Many say the bid severely undervalues Chrome, which commands a three-billion-user base and serves as a core pillar of Google’s $300+ billion ad business.
Experts estimate Chrome could be worth up to $100 billion, citing its dominant market share and tight integration with other Google services.
That makes Perplexity’s offer — nearly double its own $18B valuation — appear overly ambitious, if not unserious.
“This feels more like a marketing stunt than a credible acquisition,” said one Silicon Valley investor.
This offer arrives as Google battles a major antitrust lawsuit. A U.S. federal court recently ruled that the company holds an illegal monopoly in internet search.
The Department of Justice has floated divestment proposals, including the potential spin-off of Chrome as a solution.
Google has firmly resisted such calls, arguing that separating Chrome would compromise user security and product cohesion.
Perplexity previously attempted to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations during the 2020-2021 national security debates.
That effort fell through — and critics see a pattern of headline-grabbing proposals meant to elevate brand visibility rather than close deals.
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So far, Alphabet has not publicly acknowledged the offer. However, insiders suggest that Google is unlikely to entertain the bid, particularly amid ongoing legal defense efforts.
Source: Read more at thesun.ng
