Powerful AI firm Perplexity submits shocking $34.5 billion offer for Google's Chrome browser
In an unexpected move, AI search company Perplexity has made a $34.5 billion unsolicited offer to purchase Google's Chrome browser. This offer, dubbed "Project Solomon," was sent formally to Google on August 12, 2025, amid U.S. government antitrust pressure on Google to sell Chrome as a remedy for its search monopoly [1][2][4].
Perplexity, a nearly three-year-old startup, aims to reshape the internet in the AI era with this ambitious move. The company, whose search tool uses AI models to parse web content and curate answers, has already launched its own AI-powered web browser called Comet in July [5].
This offer is not the first time Perplexity has targeted high-profile acquisitions. The company has also bid to buy TikTok after a law was passed requiring the social media app's parent company, ByteDance, to sell it to a non-China-based company or face a ban in the United States [6].
Google's Chrome isn't the only potential acquisition target for Perplexity. Reports suggest that the startup has been a target for acquisition by both Meta and Apple, although the talks are not confirmed [7].
Google's response to the offer has not been made public. The company has promised to appeal the ruling and called the idea of spinning off Chrome an "unprecedented proposal" [8]. Google's shares rose around 1% on Tuesday, valuing the company nearly at $2.5 trillion [9].
The transaction, framed as an asset sale to meet antitrust remedy requirements, has no guarantee of approval or consummation [1][3]. The deal is worth nearly double Perplexity's own valuation, which was most recently at $18 billion following a $100 million funding round [10].
The US Justice Department has proposed that Google sell its Chrome browser as a remedy for violating US antitrust law. Google is currently awaiting a court's decision after a landmark ruling last year found that the company violated US antitrust law with its search business [3].
The industry is closely watching the resolution of this case, as it could mark a potentially transformative moment for web browsers and digital competition. As of now, the deal is pending and uncertain [3][4][5].
Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly developing a web browser, adding another player to the mix in the competitive digital landscape.
References:
- The Wall Street Journal
- Reuters
- CNN
- The Verge
- TechCrunch
- The New York Times
- Bloomberg
- Reuters
- CNBC
- Business Insider
- In the realm of technology and business, the AI search company Perplexity, after its proposal to acquire Google's Chrome browser, is now eyeing other potential Targets, such as those in Meta and Apple, according to some reports.
- The AI industry, finance, and business world are closely monitoring the ongoing case between Google and Perplexity, as the potential sale of Google's Chrome browser could reshape the landscape of digital competition, given the enormous value at stake.
