1.) Lex Luthor (when he is a villain) is one of the most evil individuals ever. He is not a mis-guided good guy.



2.) His motive for hating Superman is simple. Superman keeps getting in his way. That was how it was golden age & silver age. It was in the bronze age that hair loss became the motive. More recently writers decided to write him as a deluded bigot.



3.) He is a super-genius super-scientist. Not just a guy with lots of money.