It sounds like a joke, but... The Wall Street Journal confirm: Perplexity AI – a San Francisco-based AI startup – has just submitted an offer to acquire Google's Chrome browser at a certain price. $34.5 billionNotably, this figure is nearly double their own valuation of $18 billion after the funding round earlier this year.
Why now?
Google is in a difficult position. In 2024, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) concluded that the company "held an illegal monopoly" in the online search market. One possible remedy is to force Google to comply. Sell Chrome, Granting search data access to competitorsand implement changes that limit power.
In that context, Perplexity immediately made a buy offer – seizing a rare opportunity.
Before that, OpenAI They also expressed interest in Chrome and the open-source Chromium, as these are considered to be "Golden data repository" Regarding desktop internet browsing behavior – extremely useful for AI training and deployment.
Where does the money come from?
An $18 billion startup wanting to buy a $34.5 billion product sounds risky, but Perplexity claims that several large investment funds have agreed to fully finance the deal. This isn't the first time they've targeted a large asset in a special situation: earlier this year, Perplexity submitted a proposal to buy or merge with TikTok US when ByteDance was under pressure to sell.
Perplexity's strategy
Perplexity will launch in July 2025. Comet – an AI browser based on Chromium, integrating chatbots to summarize content, describe images, write emails… In other words, they already have the “framework” and want to buy the “engine + brand” to accelerate.
If successful, Perplexity promises to:
- Invest 3 billion USD It took 2 years to develop Chrome & Chromium.
- We hired a large portion of the Chrome team.
- The user experience remains unchanged, without altering the visual identity or core features.
- Not buying Google shares → avoiding antitrust barriers
Why is this deal important?
The browser market is heating up again as AI companies race to develop new technologies. AI Agent – These “digital assistants” can make purchases, find information, and assist with tasks directly within the browser.
- OpenAIWe are developing a new AI browser, also based on Chromium.
- MetaWe previously approached Perplexity with a potential acquisition but were unsuccessful.
- AppleInternal discussions have focused on acquiring Perplexity, but no action has been taken yet.
If Google is forced to sell Chrome, it would be the biggest antitrust split since Microsoft's time in the 1990s – and could set a precedent for other tech giants.
Personal perspective
Perplexity is taking a huge gamble: they're not yet "top of mind" names like Google, Meta, or OpenAI, but by "buying the busiest stores" instead of opening new ones, they can immediately reach over 3 billion global Chrome users.
The risk is that Google could appeal, prolong the lawsuit, or find a way to keep Chrome. But if this deal goes through, the browser we use every day could become... Chrome AI – You can search, answer, and work simultaneously… all while opening a new tab.
The question is: Are you ready for Chrome to become Perplexity's "AI assistant"?
#PerplexityAI #GoogleChrome #AI #TechNews #Antitrust
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