Perplexity AI, an artificial intelligence startup backed by figures like Jeff Bezos, has made a surprising $34.5 billion bid to acquire Google Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser. This unsolicited offer comes as Google faces antitrust scrutiny and a potential ruling to break up its search business.

• Perplexity AI, founded three years ago, valued itself at $18 billion in July, and has now made a bid significantly lower than Chrome’s estimated value.
• The bid is seen as a "stunt" by technology industry investors like Heath Ahrens, who argues it's nowhere near Chrome's true value, which Tomasz Tunguz estimates at "maybe ten times more valuable."
• Google Chrome currently boasts an estimated three billion users and faces ongoing antitrust cases in the US due to Google’s dominance in the search engine and online advertising market.