Why does Ermolai Lopakhin buy the estate in The Cherry Orchard?

In Anton Chekhov's final play, The Cherry Orchard, the merchant Ermolai Lopakhin purchases the Ranevskaya family estate primarily to pursue his practical business interests.

Lopakhin, who is portrayed as a wealthy but coarse businessman, had previously advised Madame Ranevskaya to develop the land to address her significant debts. When he ultimately buys the estate at auction, he does so to execute his plan of converting the property into a housing development. This act symbolizes the shift in social and economic power, as the orchard is cleared to make way for modern commercial use, leaving the displaced Ranevskaya family behind.1