Why has Wolverine become the poster boy for the X-Men?

I’ve never understood why Wolverine has been prioritized over other characters when he wasn’t even an OG member nor was he even a mutant in his origin as far as I know.

Many other characters deserve the spotlight more than him and I really don’t like that he’s kinda been used as a cash cow, because I like him a bit when he’s in solo comics far away from the X-men, it’s where he shines most.