In one of the most audacious moves, Indian AI startup Perplexity has offered to acquire Google Chrome for $34.5 billion. Perplexity has offered to acquire the world’s leading and top used browser in all-cash, according to the Wall Street Journal. A spokesperson from Google declined to comment on the offer and chose to ignore the pitch. This is among the boldest offers coming from an AI startup to acquire a giant.
Perplexity claims that it can arrange $34.5 billion to acquire Google Chrome from several investors, including large venture-capital funds. Dmitry Shevelenko, Perplexity’s Chief Business Officer, told Bloomberg that “multiple large investment funds” have agreed to fully finance the deal. He also claimed to hire a “substantial portion” of existing employees within two years of the purchase. Shevelenko revealed that the firm will not make “stealth modifications” to the browser and let it run as it is.
The idea of Perplexity to buy Google Chrome comes after US District Judge Amit Mehta weighed in on whether to force Alphabet to sell its browser to weaken Google’s hold on the web search engine. Mehta ruled in November that Google illegally monopolized the search market and faces no competition in the web sector.
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Perplexity’s $34.5 Billion Offer To Purchase Google Chrome: Can It Go Through?
Several commentators have called out Perplexity’s Google Chrome offer as a publicity stunt to gain global eyeballs. The Indian AI firm is worth $18 billion, and its $34.5 billion offer is twice the valuation of its own. Alphabet chose not to comment on the offer to avoid the AI firm gaining more traction. Commentators claim that the Indian AI company is fishing for strategies to gain the limelight and remain in the news. Also, Alphabet has not put the web browser for sale and does not intend to either.