You've probably heard the rumors about players ending GTA 5 with billions of dollars. Not just a few million—billions. It sounds like a total lie or a mod, right? But honestly, it’s just basic math and a lot of patience.
If you just play through the story missions and do the hits for Lester as they pop up, you’re basically throwing money away. You'll end the game with maybe twenty million dollars. That's fine for a nice car and a house, but it won't buy you the golf course. To get the real money, you have to exploit the Lester assassination missions stocks system like a corporate shark.
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The One Rule You Can't Break
Here is the absolute most important part: Stop doing the Lester missions immediately. Except for the first one. You have to do "The Hotel Assassination" to move the story forward. It’s mandatory. But after that? Don't touch them. Ignore the "L" on the map. Finish the entire main campaign first. You need to complete "The Big Score" heist because that gives each character roughly $25 to $41 million.
The stock market works on percentages. If you invest $10,000 and get an 80% return, you made $8,000. Big deal. But if you invest $30 million? Now you're looking at a $24 million profit. Multiply that across all three characters, and you see why waiting is the only way to play.
Quick Prep Checklist
- Finish the final heist (The Big Score).
- Make sure you have all three characters alive (if you chose a different ending, well, you're losing out on a third of the profit).
- Create a manual save before every single mission. The market can be finicky.
- Get ready to sleep. A lot. Sleeping (without actually saving) is the fastest way to skip 6 to 12 hours of in-game time to let stocks peak.
1. The Hotel Assassination (The Forced One)
Since you have to do this one early, you won't have the big heist money yet. That sucks, but you can still make a decent chunk.
Before the mission: Switch between Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. Have all of them put every cent into Betta Pharmaceuticals (BET) on the BAWSAQ exchange.
After the hit: Wait about 24 in-game hours. The stock usually peaks around a 50% return (though on some versions it can hit 80%). Sell everything.
The Rebound: Wait a few days. The rival company, Bilkington (BIL) on the LCN, will have tanked. Buy it when it’s at its lowest. Wait about a week in-game. It should bounce back, giving you around an 80% to 100% profit.
2. The Multi-Target Assassination (The Double Dip)
This is where the real wealth starts if you've finished the story. You’re targeting Redwood Cigarettes jurors.
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Before the mission: Put everything into Debonaire (DEB) on the LCN.
After the hit: Check your phone. Debonaire will climb. Sell when it hits about 80% profit.
The Double Dip: This is the part most people miss. Now that Redwood (RWC) has crashed, buy as much as you can. It takes longer to recover—sometimes 48 to 96 hours—but it can rebound for a staggering 300% return. This mission alone can triple your net worth.
3. The Vice Assassination
You're taking out a guy from Facade to help Fruit.
Before the mission: Invest everything in Fruit (FRT) on BAWSAQ.
After the hit: This one is quick. It usually peaks at 50% return. Sell it and move on. Some guides suggest buying Facade (FAC) on the rebound for a 30% gain, but honestly, with the billions you're making, it's almost not worth the wait unless you're a completionist.
4. The Bus Assassination
This one is weird. You don't buy anything before the mission.
After the hit: You just killed a billionaire on a bus. Vapid (VAP) stock is going to absolutely crater on the BAWSAQ. Wait until it bottom outs. You’ll know because the percentage won't go any lower.
The Sell: Buy Vapid with everyone. Sleep a few times. Sell when it hits exactly 100% profit. It literally doubles your money. Simple.
5. The Construction Assassination
The final big payday. You’re helping GoldCoast by getting rid of a rival.
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Before the mission: Invest every last cent into GoldCoast (GCD) on the LCN.
After the hit: Wait about 24 hours. It usually hits roughly 80% profit. Sell it all.
Why Isn't the Stock Moving?
Sometimes you'll sit there sleeping for days and the stock just stays flat. It's frustrating. The GTA 5 stock market can be "sticky." If the price isn't changing, try a "hard" save and then reload that save. This often forces the game to recalculate the market values.
Also, remember that BAWSAQ requires an internet connection (the Rockstar Social Club). If you're playing offline, those stocks won't update properly. LCN is entirely offline and controlled by the game's script, so it's much more reliable for most players.
Tips for Timing
- Michael sleeps for 6 hours.
- Franklin sleeps for 8 hours.
- Trevor sleeps for 12 hours.
If you want to move time fast, use Trevor. You don't actually have to save the game; just enter the bed menu and back out.
By the time you finish that last GoldCoast sell, each of your characters should have well over $1.5 billion. You can finally buy the Los Santos Golf Club ($150 million) and still have enough left over to buy every aircraft, tank, and supercar in the game.
Next Steps for You: Open your map and check how many "L" icons are still there. If you've already finished the story, go to your safehouse and make a "Master Save" before you start the Multi-Target mission. Then, pull up the LCN on your phone and start moving that heist money into Debonaire.