AI start-up Perplexity has sent shockwaves through the technology sector with a $34.5 billion takeover offer for Google’s Chrome browser, positioning the move as a landmark commitment to “user safety” and “an important commitment to the open web, user choice, and continuity for everyone who has chosen Chrome.”
In a formal letter to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet Inc., Perplexity argued that Chrome could “thrive under an independent operator” while retaining Google as its default search engine — a setting it emphasized should remain changeable by users.
Google Chrome, with an estimated user base exceeding three billion worldwide, is the most widely used web browser. However, Google has shown no interest in selling the platform. In its response, the company described the idea of spinning off Chrome as “an unprecedented proposal” that would “harm consumers and security.”
Industry analysts and investors were quick to weigh in on the unexpected bid. Technology investor Heath Ahrens dismissed the offer outright, labeling it “a stunt, and nowhere near Chrome’s true value.”
He added, “If someone like Sam Altman or Elon Musk tripled it, they could genuinely secure dominance for their AI.”
Venture capitalist Tomasz Tunguz offered a similar assessment, suggesting Chrome’s valuation could be far higher. “The offer is far below Chrome’s worth,” Tunguz noted, estimating that its true value could be “ten times” the proposed $34.5 billion price.
Perplexity, valued at $18 billion in July, has been making increasingly bold moves in the competitive generative AI market. The company recently introduced its own AI-powered browser, Comet, and earlier this year made an unsolicited bid to acquire TikTok’s U.S. operations.
The timing of the proposal comes as Google faces heightened antitrust scrutiny in multiple jurisdictions. The company is awaiting a federal court ruling that could reshape its search business, potentially affecting its market dominance in key areas. Against this backdrop, Perplexity’s offer — whether it gains any serious consideration or not — signals an aggressive push by emerging AI firms to challenge the established order in internet services.
While the likelihood of Alphabet accepting the deal appears slim, the move has already succeeded in amplifying Perplexity’s profile in the tech industry, underscoring the growing ambition of AI challengers to disrupt Big Tech’s hold over the digital ecosystem.