You're driving along the Great Ocean Highway, probably on your way to do something significantly more violent, when you see a guy standing by a broken-down car. Most people just keep driving. Honestly, in Los Santos, stopping for a stranger is usually a one-way ticket to getting carjacked or lured into an Altruist cult. But if you're looking for the easiest money in the game outside of the Lester assassinations, you need to pull over.
This is the "Hitch Lift 1" random event. The guy's name is Timm. He’s an equity broker who’s late for a flight at LSIA, and he’s about to give you a tip that makes the stock market actually feel like a cheat code.
If you want to maximize your profit when you gta 5 buy shares in tinkle, you have to be smart about the timing. This isn't just about finishing the mission; it's about preparation.
Where to Find the Tinkle Guy
The encounter isn't just anywhere. You’ll find Timm on Ineseno Road in Banham Canyon. If you’re looking at your map, it’s on the western coastline, just north of Chumash.
He’s hard to miss because he looks like a typical Algonquin suit who’s having a very bad day. His car is smoking, and he’s frantic. Once you pick him up, a timer starts—usually around 130 seconds. You’ve got to get him to Los Angeles International Airport (LSIA) fast.
Pro Tip: Don't even think about starting this until you have some actual capital. If you do this at the very beginning of the game when you only have $500 in the bank, you’re wasting the opportunity.
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How to Buy Shares in Tinkle for Maximum Profit
The "correct" way to do this involves all three characters. You shouldn't just invest with the person driving the car. That’s rookie stuff.
Before you even pull over to talk to Timm, pull out your phone. Switch between Michael, Franklin, and Trevor.
- Open the browser and go to Money and Services.
- Click on the BAWSAQ exchange. Note: Tinkle (TNK) is not on the LCN; it’s on the BAWSAQ, so you need an internet connection for it to show up correctly.
- Dump every single cent into TNK.
Once all three protagonists are "all in," then you pick the guy up. If you wait until after you drop him off to buy the stock, you’re going to miss out on a chunk of the percentage.
Some players report a 33% return if they buy before the mission, while those who wait until the "tip" is officially given sometimes only see about 29%. In the world of Los Santos billionaire-making, that 4% difference is the price of a high-end apartment.
The Timing: When to Sell
Patience is the hardest part of the GTA stock market. After you drop Timm off at the terminal, he tells you to invest in Tinkle. You’ve already done that. Now, you wait.
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You need to keep a close eye on your portfolio. Usually, the stock peaks around 12 to 24 in-game hours after the mission. The best way to move time forward? Go to a safehouse and sleep. You don't actually have to save the game; just entering the sleep menu and backing out will skip 6 to 8 hours depending on which character you’re using.
Check the percentage after every nap. Once it hits that 30-33% range, sell everything. Do not get greedy. GTA stocks have a habit of "bubbling," meaning they hit a peak, stay there for a tiny window, and then crash back to their base value. If you miss the window, you might end up breaking even or, worse, losing money.
Why Tinkle Matters for the 2.1 Billion Goal
If you’re trying to hit the $2.1 billion cap (the maximum amount the game’s 32-bit integer can handle), the Tinkle mission is a vital "bridge."
Most guides tell you to save the Lester Assassination missions until after "The Big Score" (the final heist). This is because your starting capital will be roughly $30 million to $40 million per character.
The Tinkle event is one of the few high-yield stock influencers that isn't tied to Lester. By using this random event after you've got your heist money but before you finish the assassinations, you exponentially increase the "seed money" you’ll use for the bigger trades like Debonaire and GoldCoast.
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33% of $40 million is an extra $13.2 million. That’s a lot of weapon upgrades and car mods.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
People mess this up all the time because they treat it like a side quest rather than a financial maneuver.
- Using the wrong exchange: You'll search the LCN for Tinkle and won't find it. It's strictly a BAWSAQ stock.
- Missing the timer: If you take too long to get to the airport, Timm gets out, complains, and you get nothing. Use a fast car.
- The "Sell All" Bug: On some versions of the game, if your profit puts you over $2.1 billion, the "Sell All" button can glitch out and give you nothing. If you're that rich already, sell in smaller chunks.
- Forgetting Trevor and Michael: It’s easy to just play as Franklin and forget the other two. Switch characters immediately after the drop-off to ensure everyone is set up to sell at the peak.
Steps for Success
- Save your game before approaching the Banham Canyon location.
- Switch to all three characters and invest 100% of their cash into TNK on BAWSAQ.
- Pick up the broker and drive like a maniac to the airport terminal.
- After the mission, go to a safehouse and sleep 2-3 times to advance time.
- Check the "My Portfolio" page frequently.
- Sell the moment you see a 30% to 33% return.
This isn't a repeatable mission. You get one shot at this per playthrough. If you’ve already finished the game and didn't do this, it’s worth checking if the encounter is still active. If you’ve already completed it without investing... well, there’s always your next run of the story mode.
Once you've cashed out your Tinkle profits, the next logical move is to head over to the Lester missions. Make sure you haven't done the "Multi Target Assassination" yet, as that's your next big payday where you can flip your newly earned Tinkle millions into hundreds of millions.