It is rumored and further "confirmed"[0][1] that Google did offer to buy Snapchat for $4bn, in an effort to outbid Facebooks $3bn.

0. http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/15/5106950/google-snapchat-4...

1. "Confirmed" in quotes because Valleywag cites an unnamed source, and I typically find Valleywag, and Gawker Media on a whole, dubious and not entirely worthy of trust. However, this may have been more solidly confirmed elsewhere as well.