AI search startup Perplexity has made an unexpected $34.5 billion all-cash bid to acquire Google’s Chrome browser, according to Reuters. The three-year-old company, valued at about $18 billion and backed by investors such as Nvidia and SoftBank, says multiple funds have agreed to fully finance the deal. Chrome, which has over three billion users worldwide, is a core asset in Google’s search dominance and AI ambitions, and analysts expect Google to resist any sale despite US regulators suggesting divestiture as part of an antitrust case.
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Perplexity, which already operates an AI browser called Comet, says it would keep Chrome’s open-source code, invest $3 billion over two years, and maintain Google as the default search engine. The move, the company claims, would protect user choice and stimulate competition in the AI-driven search market. Other potential buyers reportedly include OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management, while DuckDuckGo’s CEO estimates Chrome could be worth at least $50 billion if a forced sale occurred.
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