Search.com Bids $35 Billion for Google Chrome Amid AI Browser Wars

Search.com has surged ahead in the battle for browser dominance with a $35 billion offer to acquire Google Chrome, backed by JPMorgan Chase and private equity firms. The bid trumps Perplexity AI's $34.5 billion proposal, escalating a high-stakes contest to control the world's most-used browser and its lucrative search traffic.

The MOVE reflects intensifying competition in AI-driven search, with Chrome's 65% global browser share and Google's near-90% search traffic grip under regulatory scrutiny. "This is about scale and user access," said Search.com's Melissa Anderson, framing the bid as both offensive and defensive in the AI arms race.

Legal pressures loom large—the DOJ's 2020 antitrust case against Google culminated in a federal ruling this April that found monopolistic control of digital ads. Wharton research suggests Chrome's strategic value may outweigh its price tag, with AI competitors vying to reshape browsing infrastructure before 2025.