Yahoo Prepares Bid for Chrome if Google Forced to Sell

Yahoo, backed by Apollo Global Management, is prepared to bid for Google's Chrome web browser if a federal court rules that Google must divest it due to maintaining an illegal monopoly. This revelation came from a high-ranking executive during the ongoing antitrust trial against Google. Yahoo's search chief, Brian Provo, testified that the company anticipates the browser could sell for hundreds of billions of dollars, highlighting Chrome's strategic importance in the internet space. Provo's testimony is part of a broader hearing on the U.S. Department of Justice's accusation that Alphabet, Google's parent company, has monopolized the internet search market. Last year, Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google had illegally monopolized the market and is currently considering a series of remedies proposed by antitrust enforcement agencies. The U.S. Department of Justice and several state governments argue that Google should be forced to sell its popular Chrome browser.

Yahoo, once a leading search engine in the early 2000s, has since been surpassed by Google and has changed hands multiple times. In 2021, Apollo acquired Yahoo from Verizon Communications. Since the acquisition, Yahoo has been working to revitalize its search engine and has begun developing its own browser, which is still in progress. Provo noted that Yahoo had considered acquiring a browser and became interested in purchasing Chrome after the U.S. Department of Justice's proposal to force Google to sell the browser was made public. Yahoo's interest in Chrome is driven by its strategic importance and the potential to enhance Yahoo's search capabilities.

Yahoo may face stiff competition in its bid for Chrome. The head of ChatGPT testified that OpenAI is also interested in acquiring the Chrome browser. When asked if OpenAI would bid for Google's browser, Nick Tilly, the head of ChatGPT, responded that OpenAI would consider it, along with many other institutions. This indicates that there is significant interest in acquiring Chrome, given its strategic value in the internet landscape. The outcome of the antitrust trial and the potential divestment of Chrome will have far-reaching implications for the tech industry, as it could reshape the competitive dynamics in the search and browser markets.