[Phrodo_00]

You could argue they do this in order to keep antitrust from looking at chrome too closely.

[cubefox]

Google paid Firefox for search before Chrome even existed.

[wkat4242]

Of course but their reasoning will have changed over time. Because Firefox's market share has changed tremendously as well.

[Phrodo_00]

Yes, and at that point it was because Firefox was the second most popular browser. Motivations do change.