Perplexity AI has offered to buy Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion in cash, The Wall Street Journal reported. According to the report, the offer was sent to Alphabet’s Google on Tuesday morning. The company claims that multiple investment funds have committed to financing the deal in full, although it did not name them.

The unsolicited bid includes no equity component, meaning it would be entirely cash. It also more than doubles the startup’s $18 billion valuation.

Why Chrome is under regulatory pressure

The timing of the offer is linked to ongoing regulatory pressure on Google. A court ruling found the company held an unlawful monopoly in online search. The U.S. Department of Justice has been pushing for remedies that could include forcing Google to sell Chrome.

Google has not indicated that it will sell Chrome. Instead, the company plans to contest the ruling. But if regulators push for a sale, it could open the door for new players to control one of the world’s most widely used browsers.

Perplexity’s pitch: keep Google as the default search engine

Perplexity says it will not change Chrome’s default search engine if it becomes the new owner. That means Google Search would remain the default, even though Perplexity has its own AI-powered search technology.

The company also says it will keep Chromium, the underlying open-source browser code, publicly available and invest more than $3 billion into Chrome and Chromium over the next two years.

Other companies are also interested in Chrome

While Google has made it clear that it will contest the ruling, the possibility of a forced divestiture has attracted other interested buyers, including OpenAI. In April, OpenAI said it would buy Chrome if regulators require a sale. Yahoo and Apollo Global Management have also expressed interest.

Perplexity wants to acquire Chrome to stay competitive in the AI search race

Perplexity already operates Comet, its AI browser built to challenge Google. Acquiring Chrome would give it instant access to billions of users and position it against major rivals like OpenAI, which is reportedly building its own AI browser.

Whether Google accepts the bid depends largely on the outcome of the ongoing antitrust case. If regulators order Chrome’s sale, it could trigger significant competition among AI and tech companies for control of the browser. A federal judge, Amit Mehta, is expected to issue a ruling on remedies later this month.

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