Perplexity Offers $34.5B to Buy Chrome in Bold Move
Perplexity made a surprise $34.5 billion unsolicited cash bid for Google’s Chrome, promising to keep Chromium open source, invest $3 billion in the project, and leave Google as users’ default search engine. The move follows DOJ proposals to force Google to divest Chrome after antitrust rulings and could trigger competitive bidding and regulatory scrutiny.
Perplexity's audacious bid for Chrome
In a striking, unsolicited move, AI search company Perplexity offered $34.5 billion in cash to buy Google Chrome, Reuters and TechCrunch report. Perplexity says the deal would keep Chromium open source, pledge a $3 billion investment into the project, and preserve Chrome users' defaults — explicitly leaving Google as the default search engine.
The bid arrives amid a growing legal fight: the U.S. Department of Justice has proposed forcing Google to sell Chrome after a judge found the company illegally maintained a search monopoly. Google is contesting the ruling and has not agreed to sell Chrome.
- $34.5B cash offer to acquire Chrome
- Commitment to keep Chromium open source and invest $3B into the project
- Promise not to change user defaults — Google would remain the default search engine
Perplexity’s offer is notable because it exceeds the startup’s known funding and valuation. PitchBook estimates Perplexity has raised roughly $1.5 billion and was recently valued at $18 billion. The bid also follows Perplexity’s launch of its own browser, Comet, and reported interest in other big strategic moves.
Why this matters: Chrome controls roughly 68% of global browser share. If a court orders a sale, expect intense bidding from entrants and incumbents alike. For regulators, the offer raises immediate questions about market structure, open-source stewardship, and how defaults shape competition.
- Competition: A sale could reshape search and browser dynamics and invite rivals to compete for default positions.
- Open source stewardship: A $3B pledge is significant, but governance and contributor trust will determine downstream health of Chromium.
- User choice and privacy: Preserving defaults is a short-term calm; longer-term product decisions will affect privacy, search neutrality, and competition.
Practical reality: even if the court forces a divestiture, legal and operational work remains massive — from transition planning and data handling to browser updates, enterprise compatibility, and platform relationships with search providers and extension ecosystems.
QuarkyByte's take: this is the kind of high‑impact scenario we model for clients. We stress-test regulatory outcomes, map integration and supply‑chain risks, and create playbooks that help organizations — from governments to enterprises — evaluate vendor changes, preserve user continuity, and protect data and compliance posture.
Next steps: the court may set remedies timelines soon. If a sale is ordered, expect an auction, competing bids, and close regulatory scrutiny over proposed commitments like keeping defaults or funding open source projects. For now, Perplexity’s bid signals how AI firms could move from experiments to owning critical consumer infrastructure.
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AI Tools Built for Agencies That Move Fast.
QuarkyByte can rapidly model competitive and regulatory scenarios from this bid, quantify integration and open‑source stewardship risks for enterprise and government stakeholders, and build step‑by‑step compliance and migration roadmaps. Contact us to see scenario simulations and risk-weighted playbooks tailored to your organization.