Search.com Joins Chrome Bidding Frenzy With Bigger Offer Than Perplexity

Recently, Perplexity announced a bid to buy Google Chrome. The company placed a whopping $34.5 billion bid, but it is still unclear if Google will accept. However, it seems that Perplexity isn’t alone in trying to buy Chrome. According to Search.com, the company has announced its own bid on Google Chrome.

According to Search.com, it is offering a bid of $35 billion for Google Chrome. This is $500 million than Perplexity offered, and it is backed by JP Morgan. Melissa Anderson, President, Public Good says, “As AI advances at an unprecedented pace, it’s essential to make its benefits accessible to all—while steadfastly upholding ethical principles. At Public Good, and now with our newly launched gen AI platform, Search.com, we have consistently championed innovation and fairness, ensuring consumers are always at the heart of progress.”

The company is also making claims, such as offering “actual cash back for users, revenue sharing for publishers, and an end to the ad-cluttered web experience that’s suffocated the internet for decades.” They are also confident that all of this could come to head by Christmas, as the US Department of Justice is close to forcing Google’s hand.

Forcing Google to sell

Chrome currently belongs to Google. However, as part of the Google Search monopoly case, the DoJ suggested that Google could divest Chrome. This would essentially result in Chrome being sold off to a third party. It is estimated that Chrome could fetch as much as $50 billion. This is far more than what Perplexity and Search.com are offering.

We imagine that Google is trying its best to find a way not to sell Chrome. Chrome makes Google Search its default search engine. This alone drives a lot of users to Google, which in turn generates a ton of advertising revenue. This means that if Google were forced to sell Chrome, it could impact the company’s finances greatly.

Google has not responded to Search.com’s offer, so we’ll have to wait and see how this one plays out. If it really were to sell Chrome, it would mark the end of an era.