Perplexity Wants to Buy Chrome: Bold Move or PR Stunt?

In the history of artificial intelligence, we’ve rarely—if ever—seen a company barely out of startup mode attempt to buy one of the digital crown jewels of the internet. And yet, here we are: Perplexity AI, just three years old, is offering a jaw-dropping $34.5 billion in cash for Google’s Chrome browser. Could this be the deal of the decade… or just a headline-grabbing stunt? Let’s dig in.

What is Perplexity, and Why Is Chrome Important?

Perplexity AI, for those who do not know, is an up-and-coming star in the AI-driven search universe, commonly marketed as a smart replacement for conventional search engines. It blends conversationally driven AI with direct access to internet data, providing quick, source-credited answers.

Perplexity just rolled out Comet, its own AI browser, that would do things on a person’s behalf—search, summarize, even perform simple web actions without your typing. But buying Chrome, with 3+ billion users and 68% worldwide market share, would immediately elevate Perplexity from challenger to big leagues. Chrome is more than a browser; it’s basically the main portal to internet search, ad inventory, and user information. In an era of AI, dominating that portal would be a strategic gold mine.

The Bid: Big Money, Bigger Questions

Perplexity’s $34.5B bid is twice its own $14–18B valuation and several times more than its investors, including Nvidia and SoftBank, have invested, which is $1.5B. Multiple anonymous funds are reportedly lined up to fund the all-cash acquisition.

Terms of Reference of the proposal:

• Keep Chromium, Chrome’s underlying engine, open source.
• Invest $3B over two years into Chromium’s development.
• Also, retain Google as Google Chrome's default search engine (at least in the beginning).

With its estimated value of Chrome as being between $50B and $100B, the bid is considered a lowball by a large majority.

Wall Street Labels It a Stunt Most commentators are not accepting this money—in cash. Baird Research describes the bid "not to be taken seriously," stating that it's probably a try to influence future DOJ antitrust decision but not purchase an actual company.

That decision, expected soon, stems from last year’s U.S. court ruling that Google illegally maintained its search monopoly. One proposed remedy? Force Google to sell Chrome. If that happens, Perplexity’s bid puts them at the front of the line—or at least in the headlines.

But the odds of such a divestiture are low. Baird estimates a 20% chance, with Google warning that selling Chrome could harm browser security and degrade product quality.

Why Perplexity’s Move Matters

Even if the bid doesn't come off—as most anticipates—it is a new peak of ambition for search wars in AI. Browsers are front and center as principal battlegrounds because default paths that users pursue to search are determined by them. With OpenAI reportedly building its own browser AI and DuckDuckGo estimating that Chrome is worth over $50B, competition for this "digital front door" isn't even yet fully started.

Perplexity’s track record also suggests they’re comfortable with bold, unlikely offers. Earlier this year, they tried to merge with TikTok’s U.S. arm. That deal didn’t happen either, but it cemented their image as a company willing to take high-profile swings.

The Takeaway

Whether this bid is an earnest buy attempt or a strategic publicity stunt, it highlights an evolving reality: in the new era of AI, browser control may be no less valuable than search engine control. Even if Google retains Chrome, just that a startup aged just three is publicly bidding for it is an indication of how quickly—and how aggressively—the AI search market is changing. If nothing else, Perplexity has made sure we’ll be talking about them long after the DOJ delivers its verdict.