Perplexity AI Makes $34.5B Bid for Google Chrome Amid Antitrust Pressure

Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited all-cash offer of $34.5 billion to acquire Google's Chrome browser, a move that could influence ongoing antitrust proceedings against Alphabet. The U.S. Department of Justice, following a 2024 ruling that Google illegally monopolized the search market, seeks to compel Alphabet to divest Chrome as a remedy, with a final court decision expected by August 2025. Perplexity's bid, which exceeds its own valuation, is backed by several investors and pledges to maintain the Chromium open-source project while investing $3 billion over two years. Google opposes any forced sale, citing potential risks to user privacy, security, and innovation, and plans to appeal the ruling. The acquisition would enable Perplexity to leverage Chrome's over three billion users to compete more effectively in the AI-powered search space against rivals like OpenAI. While Google has not agreed to sell Chrome, Perplexity's offer may serve as a strategic signal to the court that a capable independent operator is ready to take over, potentially reshaping the future of web search and browser dominance.