In a move that has stunned the tech industry, Perplexity AI, valued at approximately $18 billion, has made an audacious $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Google Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser. This unprecedented bid reflects the company’s ambition to rapidly expand its reach and challenge Google’s dominance in the search and browser markets.
A High-Stakes Offer
On August 12, 2025, Perplexity submitted an unsolicited offer to purchase Chrome outright. The figure—almost twice Perplexity’s own market valuation—underscores the strategic importance the startup places on Chrome’s 3-billion-plus global user base.
The proposal includes a commitment to:
- Keep Chromium, Chrome’s open-source engine, freely available to the developer community.
- Invest $3 billion over the next two years to further enhance its performance and security.
- Maintain Google Search as Chrome’s default search engine to ensure a seamless experience for existing users.
Timing and Regulatory Climate
The bid comes at a time when Google faces intensifying antitrust scrutiny in the United States and abroad. Regulators are questioning the company’s tight integration of search and browser products, and some speculate that Chrome could be a candidate for divestiture in the future.
Perplexity’s leadership appears to see this moment as an opportunity—positioning the acquisition as a pro-competition move that could reduce Google’s control over how users access and navigate the web.
Why Chrome?
For Perplexity, owning Chrome would be a game-changer:
- Massive Audience Reach: Direct access to billions of internet users.
- Search Integration: A powerful distribution channel for its AI-driven search engine.
- Data Advantage: Rich, real-time browsing data to improve personalization and AI training.
With its rapidly growing reputation in AI-powered search, Perplexity sees Chrome as the ultimate on-ramp to bring its technology to mainstream audiences at scale.
Industry Reactions and Challenges Ahead
The tech community has reacted with a mix of surprise and skepticism. While the bid demonstrates Perplexity’s aggressive growth ambitions, analysts note that Google is highly unlikely to sell Chrome, a cornerstone of its ecosystem.
Even if negotiations were to proceed, the deal would face:
- Regulatory approval hurdles in multiple jurisdictions.
- Potential legal battles that could stretch over years.
- Questions over how Perplexity would finance and sustain the acquisition at such scale.
A Pattern of Bold Moves
This isn’t Perplexity’s first major headline-grabbing offer. Earlier in 2025, the company explored a merger with TikTok’s U.S. operations, aiming to address regulatory concerns over Chinese ownership. While that deal didn’t materialize, it signaled the startup’s willingness to think—and act—big.
The Bottom Line
Whether or not this acquisition attempt succeeds, Perplexity has made one thing clear: it intends to be a major force in shaping the future of how we search, browse, and interact online. By aiming for one of the most valuable digital gateways in existence, the company has firmly positioned itself as an audacious challenger to Big Tech’s status quo.
