AI-powered search engine Perplexity AI recently made an offer that shook the tech world: it wants to acquire Google Chrome, a browser used by billions worldwide. This multi–billion-dollar proposal stands out as a bold move when compared to Perplexity’s own market value.
On August 12, 2025, Perplexity AI announced its intent to purchase Google Chrome for $34.5 billion in cash. This figure is nearly double the company’s current market valuation (around $18 billion).
Perplexity’s proposal includes clauses aimed at protecting user interests and maintaining competition:
The strategy aligns with the timing of an ongoing antitrust investigation in the U.S. into Google’s dominance in online search. However, analysts predict that Google will legally challenge the sale request, making the process lengthy.
Why This Is a Game-Changing Development
Through Chrome — the market leader in browsers — Perplexity could channel user behavior and traffic sources directly to its own AI solution. This would represent not only a technological gain, but also a strategic advantage.
With Chrome’s massive user base (over 3 billion people), acquiring the browser could make Perplexity the direct gateway for a large portion of global web traffic.
While Google is currently not considering selling Chrome, regulatory pressure could eventually force a change in ownership.