AI startup Perplexity has made a jaw-dropping move: an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser despite being valued at only around $14 billion, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.
The timing is no accident. A U.S. court recently ruled Google holds an illegal monopoly in search, and one proposed remedy is forcing the company to sell Chrome. Perplexity’s bid positions it as the first major player ready to pounce if divestiture becomes reality.
According to the WSJ report, the company says it would keep Chrome’s open-source Chromium code, retain Google as the default search engine and invest $3 billion into the browser’s development over the next two years.
It’s also a signal that Perplexity, already developing its own AI-powered Comet browser, sees controlling a mainstream browser as key to winning the AI search race.
What is Perplexity?
Founded in 2022, Perplexity has quickly become one of the fastest-growing names in AI search. Its conversational answer engine combines live web results with generative AI to deliver concise, cited responses. Backed by Nvidia, SoftBank, and other major investors, the company has launched its own AI-driven browser, Comet, and is in talks to pre-install it on smartphones.
While still far smaller than Google, Perplexity’s rapid growth and investor backing give it the resources, and boldness, to make a play for one of the world’s most popular browsers.
What this could mean for you
- More competition: If Perplexity gains control, Chrome could see faster integration of AI-powered features.
- Big Tech in the hot seat: Regulators are taking a harder look at how browsers shape the search and AI markets.
- Comet isn’t the endgame: Perplexity’s bid underscores that browser dominance could be the next big AI battleground.
Bottom line
Perplexity’s $34.5 billion bid for Chrome may be a long shot, but it’s a bold declaration of intent in the AI browser wars. Whether or not the deal happens, it highlights how control of the browser, essentially the gateway to the internet, is becoming a strategic prize in the fight for AI dominance.
If regulators force Google’s hand, this could be the start of a browser shake-up like nothing we've seen before.
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