In a bold move shaking up the tech industry, Aravind Srinivas — the Indian-origin CEO of Perplexity AI — has reportedly made a $34.5 billion all-cash offer to acquire Google Chrome, according to a Reuters report.
The proposal, more than double Perplexity’s own $14 billion valuation, highlights the three-year-old startup’s ambitions in the intensifying AI race against giants like OpenAI. Perplexity, backed by investors such as Nvidia and SoftBank, has raised around $1 billion to date and claims that multiple funds are prepared to finance the deal fully, though details remain undisclosed.
The bid comes as Google faces mounting regulatory pressure in the U.S., where the Department of Justice recently ruled the company maintains an unlawful monopoly in online search. One potential remedy being discussed is the forced divestiture of Chrome. While Google has vowed to appeal and has shown no sign of selling its browser, experts suggest a legal battle could stretch for years, possibly reaching the Supreme Court.
Perplexity’s offer outlines commitments to:
- Keep Chrome’s Chromium code open-source
- Invest $3 billion over two years into the browser
- Retain Google Search as the default engine
The startup argues its plan would “preserve user choice” while addressing competition concerns. Meanwhile, other interested parties — including OpenAI, Yahoo, and Apollo Global Management — have been linked to potential bids, with DuckDuckGo’s CEO estimating Chrome’s value at no less than $50 billion if a sale were mandated.
Founded in 2022 by Aravind Srinivas alongside Denis Yarats, Johnny Ho, and Andy Konwinski, Perplexity has quickly risen with its conversational AI search engine delivering real-time cited answers. The company recently introduced Comet, its AI-powered browser, and announced a partnership with Bharti Airtel in May 2025, giving 360 million Indian users free access to Perplexity Pro.
Srinivas, a Chennai-born IIT Madras graduate, previously worked at Google and trained under deep learning pioneer Yoshua Bengio before establishing Perplexity in San Francisco.
Despite the buzz, industry watchers doubt Google will part with Chrome — a product central to its long-term AI strategy, including features like AI-generated Overviews in search.
