Why do companies like OpenAI, Perplexity and Yahoo want to buy Google Chrome?

Google’s Chrome browser could eventually be up for grabs and major tech players are already lining up. At the ongoing remedies trial for the US Department of Justice’s landmark antitrust case against Google, testimony revealed that companies including OpenAI, Perplexity, and Yahoo have expressed interest in buying Chrome if the court forces a sale.

While any potential sale is far from imminent, with the trial ongoing and Google expected to appeal, the prospect of Chrome being pried from Google’s hands is now being seriously discussed in courtrooms and boardrooms alike.

The reasons for this high-profile interest are obvious: Chrome dominates global browser usage with an estimated two-thirds market share. Owning Chrome would give any company a massive platform, not just to steer users toward its own search engine, but to surface a wide range of products and services directly to billions of people.

Nick Turley, head of product at OpenAI, testified that OpenAI would be interested in acquiring Chrome. OpenAI, which has already integrated web search capabilities into ChatGPT, sees a browser like Chrome as a natural extension of its growing ecosystem. “It makes sense,” Turley said, highlighting the strategic fit.

Perplexity, another AI-powered search company, also confirmed its interest. Its chief business officer testified that controlling Chrome would help the company accelerate the adoption of its AI search tools, while giving it unprecedented access to user data and engagement. Perplexity is currently building its own browser but sees acquiring Chrome as a much faster route to scale.

Yahoo, too, is weighing its options. Brian Provost, general manager of Yahoo Search, revealed at the trial that the company is prototyping a browser internally but noted that buying Chrome outright, despite its potential $50 billion price tag, could be feasible with financial backing from its owner, Apollo Global Management.

Despite the looming complexity of a sale, including prolonged appeals and regulatory hurdles, the potential prize is enticing. Chrome would hand a new owner instant access to one of the largest digital audiences in the world, fundamentally reshaping the balance of power in tech at a time when Google is under unprecedented pressure.

If the DOJ’s case succeeds and Chrome is spun off, the ripple effects across search, advertising, and AI could redefine the tech industry’s competitive landscape.