Aravind Srinivas, the 31-year-old founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, is making headlines — and not just for his bold business moves. The Indian-origin tech leader has just shocked the tech world by offering $34.5 billion in cash to buy Google Chrome, the world’s most popular web browser.
Yep, you read that right. A three-year-old startup wants to take over Chrome — and Aravind’s personal story is just as fascinating as his company’s ambitions.
From IIT Dreams to AI CEO
Srinivas didn’t follow the typical Silicon Valley golden path. After facing setbacks in his early academic journey, he taught himself Python, honed his skills in Kaggle competitions, and landed an internship with deep learning pioneer Yoshua Bengio. That opened the door to a PhD in Artificial Intelligence at UC Berkeley — and eventually, Perplexity AI.
Today, his company is valued at around $14 billion and backed by major investors like Nvidia and SoftBank. Even more impressive? It’s pulling in about $50 million a year in revenue.
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Aravind Srinivas Net Worth
So how much is the man at the center of this $34.5B proposal worth?
Industry estimates put Aravind Srinivas’ net worth at ₹223.8 crore (around $27 million USD). Alongside his equity in Perplexity, he’s also an investor in companies like Chennai Meenakshi Multispeciality Hospital Ltd and eMudhra Ltd.
While that number is a far cry from the tens of billions required for a Chrome buyout, remember — corporate acquisitions like this are backed by company funds, investors, and financing deals, not just a CEO’s bank account.
Why Perplexity Wants Chrome
Perplexity already has a unique AI-powered browser called Comet, designed to do things for users — not just show results. But Chrome’s three billion+ user base would be a massive growth boost, and could help Perplexity go toe-to-toe with rivals like OpenAI, which is building its own AI browser.
According to a term sheet seen by Reuters, the bid would:
- Keep Chromium open-source
- Invest $3 billion over 2 years into the browser
- Maintain Google’s current default search settings to avoid anti-competition concerns
But let’s be real — analysts don’t think Google will give up Chrome that easily. With AI features like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE) and AI Overviews baked into the browser, Chrome is a strategic cornerstone in Google’s AI future.
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What’s Next?
Whether or not this deal ever happens, one thing’s for sure — Aravind Srinivas isn’t afraid to think big. And in the hypercompetitive AI race, bold moves like this are exactly what keep smaller startups like Perplexity in the global spotlight.
