Amid US antitrust pressure on Google parent company Alphabet, Perplexity AI has offered $34.5 billion in cash deal to purchase the Google Chrome browser. This would instantly give Perplexity reach to more than three billion people. The bid still faces uncertain funding sources but could take off if a court rules soon on a US lawsuit claiming Google abuses its market power.
In a surprising move, a three-year-old startup, Perplexity AI, has offered a $34.5 billion all-cash deal to buy Google Chrome, home to over 3 billion users and one that routes a significant portion of global internet traffic through its ports. The bid is valued at more than twice Perplexity’s own market capitalization of $14 billion. It comes as Alphabet is reportedly battling rising regulatory pressure in the US, including a possible forced sale of Chrome on antitrust grounds.
