Move over, ChatGPT: Perplexity bids $34.5 billion for Google Chrome

Perplexity, a tech company, has made an unsolicited bid to acquire Google's Chrome browser for $34.5 billion. This move comes as a federal antitrust investigation into Google's Chrome browser is nearing its conclusion. While Perplexity has confirmed the proposed deal, it does not have the necessary funds to finance the acquisition. The company claims to have secured financing from "multiple large investment firms" to cover the cost. Google Chrome is built on Chromium, the open-source foundation that powers many rival browsers, including Microsoft Edge. In the U.S., Chrome holds a dominant market share of over 51% of user sessions. The proposed deal follows a federal judge's ruling that Google's search and advertising business is an illegal monopoly. The Department of Justice has suggested that Google should sell Chrome as a remedy, which has led to interest from other tech companies, including ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Yahoo. Google has attempted to appease the government by making changes, such as killing off its diversity initiatives and having its CEO meet with the president, but these efforts have not been successful. The tech giant has also said it will appeal the ruling. The future of Chrome remains uncertain as Google must now decide whether to accept or reject Perplexity's bid, or potentially face competition from other interested parties.