12:42 PM EDT, 08/12/2025 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with additional details in the third, fourth, and fifth paragraphs.)

Alphabet's (GOOG) Google ( GOOG ) has received a $34.5 billion purchase offer from AI startup Perplexity for its Chrome browser amid an ongoing antitrust case, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing Perplexity.

Multiple investors, including large venture-capital funds, intend to back the offer since the bid is nearly double Perplexity's estimated $18 billion valuation, WSJ reported.

Recent estimates place Chrome's enterprise value between $20 billion and $50 billion, according to the report.

In a letter to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Perplexity reportedly said the proposal is intended to "satisfy an antitrust remedy" by moving Chrome to an independent operator.

The company said it would keep supporting the Chromium open-source project and retain Google ( GOOG ) as Chrome's default search engine, while allowing users to change it, the media outlet reported.

Alphabet and Perplexity did not immediately respond to requests for a comment from MT Newswires.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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