The one that got away: Uber passed on Lyft several times

When Lyft Inc. holds its hotly anticipated initial public offering Thursday afternoon, the company is expected to begin trading with a market cap of more than $20 billion. The IPO will cement Lyft’s place as an important antagonist to its larger rival Uber Technologies Inc., which is slated to go public soon after. But the rivalry only tips over into the realm of Greek drama when you consider that Uber previously passed on the opportunity to buy Lyft — multiple times.