Perplexity AI's Bold $34.5 Billion Offer to Acquire Google Chrome Sparks Industry Buzz

On August 12, 2025, AI search engine company Perplexity made headlines with an unprecedented $34.5 billion unsolicited offer to purchase Google's Chrome browser, currently the world's most widely used web browser.

Perplexity, a nearly three-year-old startup valued at around $18 billion, proposed the buyout amid ongoing U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust proceedings against Google. Last year, a federal judge ruled that Google violated antitrust laws by monopolizing online search. The DOJ is pushing for remedies that could require Google to divest Chrome—the very browser that holds approximately 3.45 billion users globally and is considered a key search ecosystem asset.

Perplexity's offer includes promises to maintain Chrome's underlying engine, Chromium, as an open-source project and to invest an additional $3 billion into its development. Notably, Perplexity has assured that Google would remain the default search engine for Chrome users, recognizing the importance of user choice and continuity.

While Google has not responded publicly to the offer, legal experts note that the final remedy decisions in the antitrust case are expected soon, possibly by the end of August 2025. Perplexity's CEO Aravind Srinivas has expressed optimism that the court might impose structural remedies favoring divestiture.

This strategic bid from Perplexity comes alongside the company's recent launch of its own Chromium-based browser called Comet, signaling its ambitions to expand in the browser market.

Industry observers remain cautious about the feasibility of the offer given Perplexity’s current size relative to the enormous valuation and strategic importance of Chrome—valued by some competitors at over $50 billion. Unnamed venture capital firms are reportedly interested in backing the deal, but Google's strong reluctance to sell Chrome is well-documented, with Google lawyers previously describing DOJ's antitrust remedies as "extreme" and "fundamentally flawed."

The proposed purchase marks a dramatic moment in the ongoing tussle between the U.S. government and Big Tech over market monopolies and digital ecosystem control. Should Perplexity succeed, it could reshape browser and search markets and accelerate the integration of AI capabilities in core internet infrastructure.

As of now, Google Chrome continues to dominate with its extensive user base, and the coming weeks may determine whether Perplexity's ambitious bid is a game-changer or a bold statement in antitrust negotiations.