投中网·2025-08-16 06:04Core Viewpoint - A significant acquisition proposal has emerged where OpenAI is willing to acquire Google's Chrome browser for up to $20 billion, which would set a record for both companies involved [4]. Group 1: Acquisition Details - If the acquisition by OpenAI proceeds, it would double their previous investment record of $6.5 billion for Io Products [4]. - Chrome, with a market share of 67.9% as of July 2025, is a valuable asset compared to Google's previous highest sale of Motorola, which totaled $5.335 billion [4]. - Recently, AI unicorn Perplexity has entered the bidding with a proposal of $34.5 billion, significantly higher than OpenAI's offer [5][10]. Group 2: Perplexity's Position - Perplexity aims to position itself as "the Google of the AI era" and has developed various AI products, processing 780 million user searches by May 2025 [8][10]. - The acquisition proposal from Perplexity is driven by the belief that Chrome's user base is an irreplaceable strategic resource in the AI arms race [10]. - Perplexity has secured backing from several large venture capital funds, although its financial capacity remains uncertain given its recent valuation of $18 billion [11]. Group 3: Market Context and Implications - The ongoing antitrust scrutiny against Google has created pressure for the company to divest Chrome, with the U.S. government actively pursuing this outcome [5][12]. - Analysts express skepticism about Perplexity's ability to successfully acquire Chrome, citing the high valuation and potential risks involved [14][15]. - The potential sale of Chrome is expected to set a new record for annual mergers and acquisitions, regardless of the outcome [17].