Berlin-based nonprofit Ecosia just made the boldest play in the Chrome divestiture saga. The climate-focused search engine asked U.S. Judge Mehta to grant it 10-year "stewardship" of Chrome instead of forcing Google to sell to competitors, promising to funnel $600 billion into global climate projects while paying Google the remaining $400 billion.
The audacious proposal landed on U.S. Judge Mehta's desk Thursday, just as the tech world awaits his ruling on remedies to Google's illegal search monopoly. While Perplexity recently threw down a $34.5 billion cash offer and OpenAI signaled interest, Ecosia CEO Christian Kroll is asking for something unprecedented: Chrome for free, with strings attached to save the planet.
"It's not absurd, right?" Kroll tells reporters, though he admits his idea is "most definitely absurd, but also clever." The numbers certainly grab attention. Ecosia believes Chrome will generate $1 trillion over the next decade, making even Perplexity's offer look "too low" according to RBC analyst Brad Erickson, who speculated OpenAI "would be prepared to pay significantly more."
The stewardship model breaks down into climate action and compensation. Ecosia would control 60% of Chrome's revenue - an estimated $600 billion - directing it toward rainforest protection, global tree-planting, agroforestry projects, pollution enforcement, and green AI technology investments. Google would receive the remaining $400 billion while maintaining intellectual property ownership and even keeping its search engine as Chrome's default.
Founded in 2009, Ecosia already donates millions monthly through partnerships with local communities and NGOs across 35 countries. The nonprofit operates its own browser built on the Chromium open-source engine that powers Chrome, and maintains a revenue-sharing partnership with Google for search services. "We would be happy to manage Chrome for them," Kroll says, even offering to maintain employment for Chrome's existing workforce.
The timing aligns with mounting pressure on Judge Mehta to break up Google's search empire. The Department of Justice's 2024 landmark ruling found Google operates an illegal monopoly in internet search and advertising, with Chrome divestiture among the proposed remedies. Google vowed to appeal, but competitors immediately began circling.
Ecosia's proposal cleverly sidesteps the typical big tech consolidation that would simply "keep Chrome's power, and its billions, in the pockets of big tech," Kroll argues. Instead of creating another tech giant, the stewardship model promises unprecedented climate investment while preserving Google's core interests.
The radical approach reflects Ecosia's track record of unconventional moves. "We hold a track record of making impossible things possible," Kroll says. The company recently debuted Staan, a European search index aimed at challenging big tech's search dominance.
While the proposal faces long odds, it could influence Judge Mehta's thinking on alternatives to traditional divestitures. The 10-year timeframe includes review mechanisms, allowing stewardship to transfer to another entity or revert to different arrangements. Kroll admits his bigger goal is expanding the judge's consideration beyond typical "selling or spinning off" options.
The proposal arrives as climate tech intersects with antitrust enforcement in unprecedented ways. Rather than another acquisition enriching Silicon Valley players, Ecosia's stewardship would redirect Chrome's massive revenue streams toward environmental restoration and green technology development on a global scale.
Whether Judge Mehta seriously considers Ecosia's stewardship proposal or dismisses it as a publicity stunt, the Berlin nonprofit has successfully reframed the Chrome divestiture debate. By proposing the world's largest climate fund financed by browser revenue, Ecosia challenges the assumption that antitrust remedies must enrich existing tech giants. As Kroll puts it, "who knows what might come out of it?" The answer could reshape both the browser market and climate technology funding for the next decade.
