Perplexity bids $34.5B for Chrome amid antitrust scrutiny

AI startup Perplexity has unexpectedly signaled its ambition to buy Google’s Chrome browser, offering 34.5 billion in cash for the world’s most widely used web browser as the U.S. antitrust case against Google weighs potential remedies that could force a divestiture. The bid, if ever realized, would transfer control of a platform with billions of users and a central role in how people access the internet and how Google monetizes its services. Google has not publicly commented on the proposal, and observers say a sale remains unlikely in the near term, but the move underscores regulatory pressure and the strategic importance of the browser in the AI era.

Perplexity’s offer includes concrete commitments meant to reassure regulators and users. The company says it would keep Chromium open source, invest about 3 billion over two years to bolster reliability, performance and security, and preserve the default Google search engine within Chrome unless users choose otherwise. The bid also envisions retaining a substantial portion of Chromes staff and establishing governance mechanisms, including an Open Web Advisory Board within four months of closing and a formal roadmap for users. In...