Perplexity bids to buy Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion

AI startup Perplexity AI has made an unexpected $34.5 billion offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser, according to a CNBC report. The offer is higher than Perplexity’s valuation, but the company reportedly said several investors have agreed to fund the deal.

The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the bid.

Perplexity, valued at $18 billion, is known for its AI-powered search engine that gives direct answers to questions along with links to sources. Earlier this year, Meta approached Perplexity about a possible acquisition, but no deal was reached.

According to the media report, the bid for Chrome comes after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) proposed that Google sell the browser. This was part of an antitrust case Google lost last year, in which a judge ruled that the company illegally monopolised the internet search market.

The DOJ argued that removing Chrome from Google’s control would give rival search engines a fairer chance. Google has called the DOJ’s proposal ‘wildly overbroad’ and has not yet announced how it will respond.

This isn’t the first time Perplexity has made an ambitious move, the reports noted. In January, it proposed merging with TikTok, which has faced possible U.S. bans unless its Chinese owner, ByteDance, sells it. That proposal has yet to move forward.