Google's Chrome could potentially be acquired by Perplexity for nearly $30 billion.
Google's Chrome Not Sold to AI Startup Perplexity, but Offer Made
Google's search engine Chrome has not been sold to the AI startup Perplexity, despite an unsolicited offer made by the company for $34.5 billion. The offer, made in response to potential antitrust actions that could force Google to divest Chrome, is non-binding and part of a potential remedy related to the Department of Justice's antitrust case against Google.
Perplexity's offer includes a pledge to maintain Chrome's availability and support for at least 100 months and a $3 billion investment in the Chromium open-source project. The company has also promised not to change default user settings such as the default search engine remaining Google.
The DOJ filed a case against Google for illegal monopoly maintenance in online search, proposing in March 2025 that Google divest Chrome. Google disputes this and is fighting the ruling, but court-mandated remedies may force a sale.
Perplexity's high-profile bid is aimed at raising its profile and positioning itself amid restructuring of Google's browser ownership. Other bidders, including large players like OpenAI, may also participate if a divestiture is ordered.
Perplexity recently launched its own AI-powered Comet browser, which integrates AI features natively, contrasting with Chrome’s mostly add-on-based AI tools. The acquisition would be transformative but remains speculative as no sale has been agreed.
In the athletics world, the fight for Europe is currently wide-open, with teams like Atlético de Madrid having a Liga candidate in Julián Álvarez. Villarreal is another team leading the fight.
Last year, a federal court in the United States determined that Google maintained an illegal monopoly in internet searches. The EU has made a statement regarding Ukraine's role in negotiations, but no information about the specific antitrust actions that could be imposed on Google has been provided.
The judge in charge of the case, Amit Mehta, will issue a series of measures in the coming days regarding Google. The status of the offer or Google's response is not known at this time. The offer was not solicited by Alphabet, Google's parent company. No information about the financial status or ownership structure of Perplexity has been provided.
[1] Bloomberg, "Google's Chrome May Be Sold to AI Startup Perplexity for $34.5 Billion" [2] The Verge, "Google's Chrome could be sold to an AI startup, thanks to antitrust pressure" [3] TechCrunch, "Perplexity's $34.5 billion bid for Google Chrome is a bold move, but it's far from a done deal"
- The financial aspect of Perplexity's offer for Google's Chrome includes a pledge to invest $3 billion in the Chromium open-source project.
- Despite the antitrust case against Google, the technology behind Google's Chrome might be integrated into Perplexity's AI-powered Comet browser if a sale occurs.
