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Picture this: A three-year-old AI startup worth $18 billion just offered $34.5 billion to buy Google Chrome. That’s like a corner bodega offering to buy Walmart. Sounds insane? Welcome to Perplexity AI’s latest headline-grabbing gambit.
The Audacious Math Behind the Madness
When Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas slid that $34.5 billion all-cash offer across Sundar Pichai’s virtual desk this week, Wall Street did a collective double-take. Here’s a company offering nearly double its own valuation to buy Chrome—and somehow claiming they have the financing locked up from unnamed venture capital funds.
But here’s the kicker: according to analysts at Baird, Chrome might actually be worth around $100 billion. Which means Perplexity’s “generous” offer is actually an extreme lowball. It’s like offering $350,000 for a million-dollar mansion and expecting to be taken seriously.
Why Everyone’s Calling This a “Publicity Stunt”
Wall Street analysts aren’t mincing words. Baird called Perplexity’s bid something that “should not be taken seriously,” labeling it a move designed to “drum up interest among potential buyers” and influence the pending antitrust decision against Google.
The betting markets tell the story perfectly. When news broke on Tuesday afternoon, Polymarket odds for Perplexity actually acquiring Chrome spiked to 35%. By evening? They’d crashed to just 2%. That’s the market’s way of saying “nice try, but no thanks.”
Even Google isn’t sweating it. According to sources familiar with internal discussions, Alphabet doesn’t view this as a serious offer. Translation: they’re probably having a good chuckle in Mountain View.
The Real Game: Antitrust Theater
Here’s what’s really happening. Judge Amit Mehta is about to rule on remedies in Google’s antitrust case, potentially forcing the tech giant to sell Chrome. The Department of Justice has argued that Chrome is essential to breaking Google’s “illegal monopoly” in search.
Perplexity isn’t just throwing money around randomly—they’re positioning themselves as the responsible alternative buyer. Their offer comes with all the right regulatory sweeteners: keep Chromium open-source, maintain Google as the default search engine, retain existing staff, and invest $3 billion in upgrades over two years.
It’s regulatory theater at its finest. Perplexity is essentially saying, “Hey DOJ, if you force a sale, we’re the good guys who’ll play nice.”
The Strategic Logic (Yes, There Actually Is Some)
Strip away the PR stunts, and Perplexity’s interest in Chrome makes perfect sense. The company has 30 million active users and handles 780 million monthly queries. Impressive, until you realize Google processes 13.7 billion searches daily. That’s not even David versus Goliath—it’s more like David versus the entire Philistine army.
Chrome runs on 3.5 billion devices and commands over 60% of the browser market. For an AI search company trying to challenge Google’s dominance, owning Chrome would be like controlling the highway system while your competitors are stuck with dirt roads.
Perplexity already launched Comet, their AI-native browser that can summarize pages and automate tasks. It’s clever, but it’s starting from zero users. Chrome would give them instant distribution to billions of people worldwide.
The Former Google Intern’s Revenge Fantasy
There’s a delicious irony here that shouldn’t be missed. Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity’s CEO, is a former Google intern who’s been needling his former employer on social media. Now he’s trying to buy one of their crown jewels.
This isn’t his first audacious move either. Earlier this year, Perplexity made a $50 billion bid for TikTok that went nowhere. But these headline-grabbing offers serve a purpose—they position Perplexity as a serious player in conversations about the future of tech platforms.
Why This Probably Won’t Happen (But Why It Matters)
Let’s be realistic. Google faces only a 20% chance of being forced to sell Chrome, according to Baird analysts. Even if that happens, the appeals process could drag on for years. Google will fight this tooth and nail—Chrome isn’t just a browser, it’s the golden gateway that funnels users into their $2 trillion advertising machine.
Plus, if Chrome does hit the market, expect a bidding war. OpenAI has already expressed interest, and you can bet Microsoft, Amazon, and other tech giants would throw their hats in the ring. Perplexity’s $34.5 billion would look like pocket change compared to what these players could offer.
The Real Winner: Perplexity’s Brand
Even if this bid fails spectacularly, Perplexity has already won something valuable—attention. They’ve inserted themselves into every conversation about the future of browsers, search, and AI competition. For a startup trying to challenge Google’s dominance, that’s worth its weight in gold.
The company’s spokesperson told the Financial Times, “This isn’t a joke. We are good at this.” Maybe the Chrome acquisition won’t happen, but Perplexity has proven they’re not afraid to think big and play hardball with tech titans.
What This Really Tells Us
Perplexity’s Chrome bid is a perfect encapsulation of Silicon Valley’s current moment. AI startups are flush with investor cash and emboldened by the possibility that regulatory pressure might crack open Big Tech’s walled gardens. They’re making moves that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.
Whether this particular gambit succeeds or not, it signals that the AI search wars are just getting started. And sometimes, the boldest move is simply making sure everyone knows you’re ready to play.
