Perplexity Challenges Google’s Power With $34.5 Billion Chrome Takeover Bid

Perplexity, a fast-growing artificial intelligence company, has offered $34.5 billion in cash to buy Google’s Chrome browser.

The bid comes as the US government intensifies antitrust pressure on Google after a federal court ruled in 2024 that the company illegally maintained a monopoly in internet search.

Chrome is not just another web browser. With about 3.5 billion users and nearly 68% of global market share, it is the main online gateway for billions of people.

On Android phones, which account for roughly 71% of the global smartphone market, Chrome’s dominance is even stronger. This control also strengthens Google’s grip on search and online advertising.

US District Judge Amit Mehta has not yet ruled on possible penalties, but suggested that breaking up Google’s assets, including a forced sale of Chrome, could be an option. Perplexity’s move shows there are serious buyers ready to take over if that happens.

The company’s offer is backed by major investors, even though Perplexity itself is valued at about $18 billion — roughly half the amount it is proposing to pay.

Perplexity promises to keep Chrome’s core engine, the open-source Chromium, free for anyone to use, invest $3 billion into its development, and keep Google Search as Chrome’s default.

This would preserve Chrome’s functionality while allowing a new, independent owner to run it. The bid also fits into Perplexity’s bigger plan. Just weeks before, the company launched its own browser, Comet.

Unlike traditional browsers, Comet integrates AI tools to summarize information, automate tasks, and help users manage work and day‑to‑day browsing in real time.

Bringing Chrome into that ecosystem could give Perplexity the reach of the world’s largest digital gateway combined with its own AI‑driven features. The story behind the story is about control over how people access information.

Chrome’s scale gives Google unparalleled influence, shaping what billions see online. Regulators argue this limits competition and consumer choice.

By moving for Chrome now, Perplexity is positioning itself as both a willing buyer and a future competitor in the search and browser markets — not out of ideology, but because the regulatory climate has created a rare opening to acquire one of tech’s most valuable products.

If the deal went through, it would mark one of the most significant transfers of a leading consumer technology product in history — from one of the world’s largest companies to a much smaller, but ambitious, challenger.