Perplexity Bids $34.5 Billion to Acquire Google’s Chrome Amid Antitrust Pressure

AI startup Perplexity has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, anticipating that U.S. antitrust rulings could force the search giant to divest the popular software. The bid was formally sent to Alphabet’s Google on Tuesday morning, according to a Perplexity spokesperson.

The move follows a federal judge’s ruling last year that Google holds an illegal monopoly in internet search. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta is expected to announce remedies soon, which could include forcing Google to sell Chrome and license its search data to competitors. The Department of Justice has argued that such steps are necessary to prevent Google from dominating the online search market.

Perplexity’s bid comes shortly after AI rival OpenAI also expressed interest in acquiring Chrome. Together with its open-source counterpart Chromium, Chrome is the most widely used browser for desktop web access worldwide.

Founded in San Francisco, Perplexity has positioned itself as an AI-powered alternative to Google search. Earlier this year, the company raised $100 million in funding at an $18 billion valuation, Bloomberg reported. Questions over its ability to finance the massive acquisition were addressed by Perplexity Chief Business Officer Dmitry Shevelenko, who said that “multiple large investment funds have agreed to finance the transaction in full.”

This is not the company’s first bold move. Earlier in 2025, Perplexity offered to merge with the U.S. operations of TikTok parent ByteDance, seeking to create a new domestic entity ahead of a possible ban on the app.

The bid reflects growing competition among AI companies to control browser platforms. Web browsers are seen as crucial entry points for AI agents that can perform tasks like online shopping and content curation. Perplexity is also preparing to launch its own AI-powered browser, Comet.

If successful, Perplexity has pledged to invest $3 billion in Chrome and Chromium over the next two years, extend offers to a large share of Chrome’s current workforce, and maintain the browser’s stability. The company said it would avoid making “stealth modifications” to Chrome to ensure continuity for users and advertisers.

The offer does not include any equity in Perplexity, a move aimed at sidestepping additional antitrust scrutiny. Whether Google will consider the proposal remains uncertain, but the bid underscores how the outcome of the antitrust case could reshape the browser and search landscape.