Google Chrome For Sale: Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity has made a bold offer to acquire Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion, which the tech giant could be compelled to sell amid antitrust proceedings. The proposed amount, outlined in a letter of intent, is nearly double Perplexity’s reported $18 billion valuation from a recent funding round.
The three-year-old company has reportedly raised about $1 billion from investors like Nvidia and Japan’s SoftBank. Google has shown no interest in selling Chrome, and no court has ordered it to do so. Perplexity’s move is similar to its earlier bid this year to buy TikTok’s U.S. operations, which also faced regulatory hurdles.
The offer comes as Google awaits a ruling from US District Court Judge Amit Mehta, expected by the end of the month, on remedies following last year’s decision that the company held an illegal monopoly in online search. Government lawyers have urged Google to sell Chrome, warning that integrating artificial intelligence could further cement its dominance as the main gateway to the internet
Chrome Holds More Than 50% Per Cent Of Global Market
Chrome has been the world’s most popular web browser for over 10 years and is a key part of Google’s business. Data from StatCounter shows it held a 67.9% global market share in July 2025. Critics say removing Chrome from Google could hurt smaller competitors and reduce benefits for users. Google’s lawyer, John Schmidtlein, warned that since over 80% of Chrome users are outside the U.S., selling it could have worldwide consequences.
