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Photo courtesy of Yonhap News |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] U.S. startup Perplexity, known for its generative AI search service of the same name, has proposed acquiring Google’s Chrome browser for $34.5 billion (₩48 trillion), according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on August 12 (local time).
In a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Perplexity stated that the offer aims to “transfer Chrome to a capable and independent operator to achieve the public-interest goals of antitrust remedies.” The proposed acquisition price is nearly double Perplexity’s own estimated valuation of $18 billion, with the company claiming that investors—including several major venture capital funds—have committed to fully financing the deal.
The proposal comes as U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta considers whether to order Google to divest Chrome as part of remedies for its illegal monopolization of the search market, a violation he ruled on last year. A decision on specific competition-restoring measures is expected soon.
The Wall Street Journal noted that Perplexity’s bid appears designed to signal the existence of an interested buyer should the court mandate Chrome’s sale.
알파경제 Paul Lee 특파원(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
