Overview

• Perplexity AI submitted an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Chrome, which Google has not formally put up for sale.
• The proposal commits to keeping Chromium open source, investing $3 billion over two years and maintaining Chrome’s default search engine.
• Google’s expected opposition and Chrome’s integration into its advertising and AI ecosystem raise significant obstacles to a swift transaction.
• A decision by Judge Amit Mehta in the Justice Department’s antitrust remedies process will be pivotal for any mandated divestiture of Chrome.
• Industry analysts view the offer as a publicity-driven gambit given Perplexity’s $14 billion valuation and opaque financing, though a successful deal could boost adoption of its Comet browser.