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How did Ptolemy I Soter become ruler of Egypt after Alexander the Great died?

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Ptolemaic sculpture — Ptolemaic dynasty Head of a queen, marble sculpture possibly made in Egypt, Ptolemaic period (305–30 bce); in the Brooklyn Museum, New York. 14 × 12 × 11.5 cm.

Following the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BCE, his vast empire lacked a clear successor, leading his generals to divide the territory into satrapies (provinces) during a council at Babylon.12

Ptolemy I Soter, a trusted commander who recognized that the empire could not remain unified, proposed this division and secured the position of satrap of Egypt, along with adjacent regions in Libya and Arabia. He methodically leveraged the Nile territory's geographic isolation to build a powerful, independent base.1

Over the following years, Ptolemy navigated complex power struggles among the Diadochoi (successors), successfully defending his control of Egypt against rivals like Perdiccas and Antigonus I Monophthalmus. After resisting Antigonus's attacks, Ptolemy and other remaining satraps formally assumed the title of king between 305 and 304 BCE, marking the official founding of the Ptolemaic dynasty.13