My yearly reminder that Mr. Potter was a self-medicating opium addict, with his cooking rig right on his work desk, in the scene where he offers George Bailey a job, & whose motivation was to have everyone suffer as much misery as his agonizing paralysis caused him. Context.
This movie is dark. I'm pretty sure Potter was trying to sign him to a 3 year, 20K contract, just to get him out of the Building and Loan & planned to put him out of a job after 3 years. He literally plans to ruin this man.

This movie is dark. I'm pretty sure Potter was trying to sign him to a 3 year, 20K contract, just to get him out of the Building and Loan & planned to put him out of a job after 3 years. He literally plans to ruin this man.