Perplexity AI has submitted an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, nearly double its own $18 billion valuation, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
The bold move comes as a federal judge weighs an antitrust ruling that could force Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) to divest Chrome after finding the company illegally monopolized the search market.
Chrome dominates the global browser market with roughly 60% share and 3.5 billion users worldwide. Despite this, experts say the chances of a sale remain low given the browser’s commoditized nature and the open-source foundation of its core technology.
Google is expected to vigorously contest any forced breakup, making a voluntary sale unlikely.
Perplexity’s aggressive bid highlights the growing attention on tech giants’ market power but also raises questions given its own relatively modest valuation.