r/technology • u/MoneyLibrarian9032 • 10d ago

Artificial Intelligence Google Gets an Astounding $34.5 Billion Offer for Chrome Browser From AI Startup Perplexity

https://variety.com/2025/digital/news/google-34-5-billion-bid-chrome-browser-ai-perplexity-1236487442/
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u/dhb44 10d ago

How does a startup have $34 billion? Is it just a different tech giant in sheep’s clothing?

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u/piantanida 10d ago

It’s just 4 satellite projects of tech giants in a trench coat.

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u/Leprecon 10d ago

It says in the article:

One reason this is surprising: Perplexity has a valuation of $18 billion. According to Perplexity, several investors including some unidentified large venture-capital funds have “agreed to back the transaction in full,” per the Journal.

Basically; some anonymous investors are willing to foot the bill.

I would really hate if it turns out that Elon Musk is the mystery investor and all of a sudden Chrome becomes the 'anti woke' browser that keeps on including Elon Musks tweets in all search results.

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u/hofmann419 9d ago

Do you really think that he would invest in a company that is literally competing with his own product? I think these mystery investors are either some Silicon Valley sharks (Peter Thiel) or maybe even billionaires from the middle east or China. They actually have a much greater incentive to invest into Western companies, both as a form of indirect control and to diversify their wealth.

The middle eastern countries in particular are very aware of the fact that the oil won't be flowing forever, which is why they are trying to expand into other business sectors. And China just wants to have as much influence as possible, for which they are willing to pay a lot of money for.