Sure, he seemed like he just wanted a real estate empire, yet you just have to look at how he wanted to achieve that and his whole ethos was summed up in this exchange:

This has become very prevalent with Batman villains over the last 30 - 35 years. I think it works with characters like Two-Face and, after the great revision by B:TAS for Mister Freeze. Other Batman villains should just be complete evil or thieving b@stards. 

I’m really at a loose end to think of the last time there was a villain who was just out and out evil with no sympathetic shades in their background / origin.