Perplexity AI, known for its AI service, has put forward a groundbreaking offer to purchase Chrome from Google for a staggering $34.5 billion, as reported by Reuters.
Previously in the headlines for expressing interest in acquiring TikTok's US operations, Perplexity has not disclosed its funding strategy for the Chrome acquisition. However, several funds have reportedly shown willingness to finance the deal entirely. The startup has secured around $1 billion in funding for its AI chatbot, which is a fraction of the amount being offered for Chrome.
Amid mounting regulatory pressure in the US for Google to divest Chrome to reduce its industry dominance, other entities such as OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management have also shown interest in the acquisition.
Google, however, has not initiated any sale of Chrome and intends to appeal a court ruling that found it in violation of antitrust laws. The US Justice Department has pushed for a Chrome sell-off as part of the case's remedies, with a judge expected to issue a ruling on this matter soon.
Recently introducing its AI-powered browser, Comet, Perplexity aims to leverage Chrome's vast user base of over three billion to enhance its AI services and compete with industry giants like OpenAI. Assuring to keep the Chromium code open source, Perplexity plans to invest $3 billion over two years in the browser while maintaining Chrome's default search engine unchanged to preserve user choice and alleviate competition concerns.
