US: AI startup Perplexity has reportedly made an unsolicited all-cash bid worth $34.5 billion (approximately ₹3 lakh crore) to acquire Google’s Chrome web browser.
The offer, which comes despite Chrome not being officially for sale, would be one of the largest acquisitions in the tech sector’s history. Perplexity, currently valued at $18 billion, is seeking financing from multiple funds to cover the cost fully.
In its proposal, the company has pledged to keep Chromium, the open-source engine behind Chrome, free and to invest $3 billion over the next two years into the project.
This is not the first time Perplexity has floated the idea of owning Chrome. In previous court filings, the company argued it could run Chromium at Google’s scale without charging users, while maintaining the browser’s quality and global reach.
Chrome, launched in 2008, became the world’s most popular browser within four years and now commands more than 65 percent of the global market. The platform has over three billion users, significantly ahead of Apple’s Safari (approximately 18 percent) and Microsoft Edge (approximately 5 percent).
Comet is here.
A web browser built for today’s internet.pic.twitter.com/cFPeghl2YM
— Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) July 9, 2025
The timing of Perplexity’s move coincides with mounting legal pressure on Google in the United States. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has urged the forced sale of Chrome after a judge ruled last year that Google held an illegal monopoly in internet search.
The DOJ argues that divesting Chrome would level the playing field for search competitors. Google has strongly opposed the proposal, calling it wildly overbroad and part of a radical interventionist agenda.
The court’s final ruling on remedies, which could include ordering Chrome’s sale, is expected by the end of this month. If such an order is issued, Perplexity’s offer could instantly move from speculative to strategic.
