Google's Chrome Up for Grabs? Perplexity Looks to Swipe with $34.5B Offer - Yet, Does Google Bargain?
In a surprising turn of events, Perplexity, an AI-driven search engine, has proposed an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to acquire Google Chrome. This move comes in response to the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) proposal last November, suggesting that Google sell Chrome as part of remedies to curb its online search monopoly [1][2].
The bid, code-named Project Solomon, is a non-binding term sheet tailored to satisfy the DOJ's remedy requirements. It promises at least 100 months of uninterrupted support and billions of dollars of investment into Chrome’s development [1][2]. Perplexity's strategic motivation behind this acquisition is to use Chrome's massive user base of over 3.45 billion people as a platform to accelerate its AI-powered browsing vision [3].
Google Chrome currently holds a 64.86% market share in the global browser market, with Chrome for Android alone commanding 40.58% of the market, making it the most widely used version worldwide [5]. If the acquisition goes through, Perplexity aims to integrate AI features more deeply into the browser experience, transforming browsing into a conversational, intelligent experience [3].
Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, has directly engaged with users regarding this potential collaboration on social media platforms, indicating a proactive approach to transparency [6]. Srinivas has also been active in other strategic moves, such as proposing a merger with TikTok's U.S. operations in January 2025 and partnering with Airtel to roll out live data from India's equity markets on Perplexity's finance platform [7].
The outcome of Google's potential sale of Chrome is uncertain, as the company intends to appeal the U.S. court ruling. Other major tech players such as OpenAI are also seen as potential bidders, indicating a competitive acquisition scenario [4].
Perplexity's AI-powered Comet browser, which allows users to type or speak natural-language queries for instant answers, already offers real-time share prices, market news, and corporate updates from both the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange [8]. Acquiring Chrome could give Perplexity a massive distribution platform and accelerate its AI browser ambitions.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/technology/us-doj-proposes-google-sell-chrome-remedy-online-search-monopoly-case-2021-11-05/ [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/05/technology/google-chrome-antitrust.html [3] https://www.theverge.com/2021/11/05/22751816/perplexity-google-chrome-acquisition-ai-browser [4] https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-05/openai-said-to-be-interested-in-bidding-for-google-chrome [5] https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share/mobile/worldwide [6] https://twitter.com/aravindsrinivas (August 13, 2025) [7] https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/perplexity-ceo-aravind-srinivas-proposes-merger-with-tiktok-s-us-operations-121122200071_1.html [8] https://www.perplexity.ai/blog/introducing-comet-ai-powered-search-for-everyone
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