Perplexity AI Offers $34.5Bn to Buy Google Chrome Amid US Antitrust Remedy Talks

AI start-up Perplexity on Tuesday offered $34.5 billion to buy Google’s Chrome browser, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The start-up reportedly intends to show that an interested, independent operator could take over Chrome if a US court orders a sale as an antitrust remedy. As per the report, the unsolicited offer is backed by several venture-capital investors, as the bid amount far exceeds Perplexity’s own estimated valuation of about $18 billion.

The timing and framing of the proposal link directly to a federal antitrust case: US District Judge Amit Mehta last year found Google had illegally monopolised search and is now weighing potential remedies, including whether to force the divestiture of Chrome.

Legal analysts and court observers say Perplexity’s bid could be intended to signal to the court that a viable buyer exists should the judge order a sale. Google has not said it intends to sell Chrome.

Perplexity’s Letter to Pichai

In a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Perplexity said it would maintain and support Chromium (the open-source project underlying Chrome) and would initially keep Google as the browser’s default search provider while allowing users to change settings. The start-up portrayed the offer as a public-interest remedy designed to preserve user safety and continuity.

Industry investors and commentators were divided. Some called the bid a publicity stunt that underestimates Chrome’s strategic value and vast user base; others noted that only deep-pocketed buyers could realistically finance a purchase and preserve the product’s global scale.

As per the report, estimates of Chrome’s enterprise value vary widely, and some analysts place its worth well above the figure Perplexity offered. Perplexity says it has investor backing but has not publicly disclosed full financing details.

Perplexity’s Product Play

Perplexity’s own AI browser Comet is one of the several AI firms racing to pair search and browsing with generative-AI assistants. The $34.5 billion pitch fits into a broader strategy of positioning itself as a plausible alternative or successor of a major consumer platform and accelerating its credibility in the browser and search markets.

Google has argued in court that forcing a sale or compelled data-sharing would harm security, innovation and user experience and has said it will appeal adverse rulings.

Judge Mehta is expected to issue a decision on remedies soon; if he orders divestiture, Perplexity’s letter may be one among several factors a court considers in assessing feasible buyers and transition plans. For now, the offer remains unsolicited and Google has given no public sign it will negotiate.