DOJ Wants Chrome Sold. Perplexity Shows Up With a $34B Check and a Wink…

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take" - Wayne Gretzky the person who told Perplexity’s CEO this actually had a chance… 

So in case you’ve heard the news, Perplexity AI just tried to big-dog Google. Not by doing the usual things like possibly beating them in AI search or undercutting their ad revenue… but by straight-up offering $34.5 billion for Chrome. Again, let me say that for the people in the back, Perplexity just tried to acquire Chrome, the most-used browser in the friggin’ world, and the one that consistently saves normal humans from ever using that low-grade dog food we call Bing. 

(Source: Giphy) 

To put this in perspective, Perplexity’s last valuation was $18B. So yeah… they’re basically the guy making $60k a year who just walked onto a car lot and offered to buy the dealership in cash… and then said, “Don’t worry, my buddies will cover it.” Apparently, those “buddies” are venture investors who supposedly agreed to back the deal… a kind of GoFundMe for billion-dollar M&A.

(Source: CNBC) 

Why now? Because the DOJ wants Google to divest Chrome after last year’s antitrust smackdown, claiming it’s an illegal search monopoly. So yes, while this offer coming from Perplexity is outlandish, the logic technically makes sense: rip Chrome out of Google’s hands, and maybe search competition stops looking like an NBA All-Star Game where one team is just LeBron dunking on children.

Of course, Google called the idea “wildly overbroad”... which means they’d rather burn down the internet before they sell their golden goose to the bottom feeders. But Perplexity’s offer is, in a way, just good timing. If the DOJ forces a sale, someone’s going to get Chrome. Perplexity is just the first to plant a flag. What’s more is that this isn’t their first high-altitude swing. Earlier this year, they offered to merge with TikTok… presumably to “help” ByteDance out of its U.S. ban problem. Before that, they were fending off acquisition feelers from Meta, which is basically like being invited to prom by Mark Zuckerberg and saying, “Thanks, but I’ve got my own weird science experiment at home.”

(Source:Giphy) 

Meaning, at best, this is Perplexity’s moonshot that turns their AI search into the default experience for hundreds of millions of people overnight. At worst, it’s PR judo: make headlines, spook rivals, and imply to users and investors that you’re already playing at Google’s weight class. Either way, Chrome isn’t officially for sale yet… but the startup just let everyone know it’s willing to write a comically large check the moment it is.

It also says a lot about where Perplexity sees its own Comet browser headed: maybe not ready to take Chrome head-on without a little… shortcut. For now though, there’s absolutely no chance Perplexity will get Chrome (as of right now). But maybe in the not so near future… we’ll be seeing a different story play out. Meaning, keep your eyes on this and for others who try to Peacock their way into the arena for Chrome. Until next time, friends…

At the time of publishing, Stocks.News holds positions in Google and Meta as mentioned in the article.