The harms of monopoly went without saying. Even setting ordinary people aside, this was not a model Lex wanted for himself.
As everyone knew, the larger the operation spread, the more people got involved. Everyone had their own ideas and wanted to fight for benefits for themselves and their interest groups.
For example, Metropolis's industries were already saturated. Lex wanted to expand production into other East Coast cities, but those cities had their own interest groups. If Luthor Corp wanted to move in, it naturally had to offer them something in return.
Those people did not merely want money. They wanted a share of Luthor Corp's expansion. Naturally, they wanted managerial power and wanted to install their own people among the shareholders. But for them to move up, someone else had to step down. And no one wanted to step down.
Holding so many means of production yet being unable to put them into operation meant no profits, which the shareholders were unwilling to accept. So, they often agreed to the unreasonable demands of regional interest groups just to get production running as soon as possible.
But once local factions grew powerful among the shareholders, they would naturally threaten Lex Luthor's interests as the man at the helm. If they simply refused to listen to him, what could he do? Could he really dismantle factories in other regions?
What was even more frightening was that once the feudal lords grew powerful, not only would their fiefs become ungovernable, but the Son of Heaven himself could be threatened. If the shareholders joined forces to short Lex, he might have no choice but to be kicked out. It was not impossible for Luthor Corp to change hands entirely.
So although Luthor Corp was in far better shape than Wayne Enterprises, it was