- Indian AI startup Perplexity has made an all-cash offer to acquire Google Chrome for $34.5 billion.
- Perplexity claims support from major investors willing to finance the purchase.
- Google declined to comment on the acquisition proposal.
- The offer follows a U.S. court ruling that criticized Google for web search monopolization.
- Commentators question the seriousness of Perplexity’s bid, citing its lower market valuation and lack of indications from Alphabet to sell Chrome.
Indian Artificial Intelligence company Perplexity submitted a proposal to purchase the Google Chrome browser from Alphabet for $34.5 billion in cash. The company announced its offer amid ongoing regulatory scrutiny of Google’s dominance in web search and browsing markets.
Perplexity stated that it had secured commitments from several large venture-capital firms and investment funds to fully finance the deal. The Wall Street Journal first reported the acquisition bid. Neither Google nor Alphabet executives have commented on the offer.
According to Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s Chief Business Officer, “multiple large investment funds” have agreed to back the transaction. He also said the company intends to retain a majority of current Chrome employees within two years of a successful purchase. “We will not make stealth modifications to the browser and plan to let it run as it is,” Shevelenko stated.
The bid came shortly after U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google illegally monopolized the web search market. The court considered, but did not require, that Alphabet sell its web browser to reduce its market dominance.
Financial experts and market commentators have described Perplexity’s proposal as an unusually bold move, especially since the startup is currently valued at $18 billion—about half the offered acquisition price. Comments from observers suggest that the offer may have been intended to boost Perplexity’s visibility in the technology industry.
Alphabet has not put Google Chrome up for sale and has not indicated any intention to do so.
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