According to foreign media reports, AI startup Perplexity has made a $34.5 billion (approximately 248 billion RMB) offer to Google to acquire the Chrome browser, a sum far exceeding its $18 billion valuation. The acquisition comes as the US Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Google enters a critical phase. The DOJ has previously proposed forcibly breaking up Chrome to weaken Google's search monopoly. Although the market generally believes Google will not accept the offer, the move is still seen as a proactive response to the DOJ's ruling.
In its acquisition commitment, Perplexity specifically emphasized that it would maintain Chrome's default search engine and planned to invest $3 billion (approximately 21.6 billion RMB) over the next two years in building an open web. Furthermore, the company intends to acquire core Chrome team members in an attempt to mitigate transition risks by retaining talent. Analysts point out that this strategy is intended to demonstrate to regulators its ability to maintain a stable browser ecosystem, but most Wall Street views the offer as more of a marketing gimmick and highly unlikely to close.
Under current antitrust pressure, Google faces multiple challenges. In addition to the potential forced divestiture of Chrome, the DOJ has also demanded that it terminate default search agreements with Apple and other vendors and open up its search results data. If the court ultimately approves the split, it would be the largest antitrust intervention in U.S. tech history. It's worth noting that companies like OpenAI have also expressed acquisition interest, and the battle for browsers between AI companies and traditional giants is intensifying.
