Observed Signal · Aug 13, 2025 · M&A - Rumour · Source: Trending Topics · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Perplexity Offers $34.5 Billion to Buy Google's Chrome Browser
Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited all-cash offer of $34.5 billion to acquire Google's Chrome browser. The AI search startup says the bid would preserve user choice and address future competition concerns, pledging to keep the Chromium engine open-source and invest $3 billion in it within two years. It also says Chrome's default settings, including Google as the default search engine, would remain unchanged. The move follows a U.S. Department of Justice proposal in March to force Google to sell Chrome as part of an antitrust remedy. Google has not agreed and is fighting the ruling. Perplexity, valued at around $18 billion, has raised roughly $1.5 billion from investors including Nvidia and SoftBank. Other interested parties such as OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management have also been named. Analysts largely view the bid as a PR stunt for Perplexity's own Comet browser.
The unsolicited bid targets Google's Chrome browser, a key distribution gateway for search and advertising. If the DOJ forces a sale, it would reshape digital advertising, but the offer is widely seen as a PR stunt and Google has not agreed, so the immediate industry impact is limited.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Perplexity AI made an unsolicited all-cash offer of $34.5 billion for Google's Chrome browser.
- Perplexity promised to keep the Chromium engine open-source and invest $3 billion in it within two years.
- Google has not agreed to the sale and is contesting the antitrust ruling that prompted the DOJ's divestiture proposal.
- Perplexity is valued at about $18 billion and has raised roughly $1.5 billion from investors including Nvidia and SoftBank.
- Chrome has a market share of about 68 percent according to Statcounter.
Connected Companies & Entities
12 Entities mapped“The AI search startup Perplexity submitted an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to Google for the Chrome browser....”
“Google has not agreed to the sale of Chrome and is fighting the antitrust ruling....”
“OpenAI and Perplexity showed interest in buying Chrome when the DOJ first proposed the sale....”
“Yahoo and Apollo Global Management have also expressed interest in Chrome....”
“Yahoo and the private equity firm Apollo Global Management have already expressed interest in Chrome....”
“Perplexity has raised about $1.5 billion from investors including Nvidia and SoftBank....”
“DuckDuckGo CEO Gabriel Weinberg testified that Chrome could be worth more than $50 billion....”
“Perplexity has raised about $1.5 billion from investors including Nvidia and SoftBank....”
“Chrome has a market share of 68 percent according to Statcounter....”
“Reuters reported the offer is a pure cash bid....”
“Perplexity previously announced plans to buy the U.S. arm of TikTok....”
“Reuters reported the offer is a pure cash bid....”
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