You've probably heard the rumors. People finishing Grand Theft Auto V with over two billion dollars in the bank for Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. It sounds like a total lie or some weird mod, but honestly, it’s just basic math and a lot of patience. Most players mess this up within the first five hours of the game because they see an "L" on the map and think, "Hey, a mission!"
Stop right there.
If you do those missions early, you are literally throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars. Those Lester assassination missions stocks are the only way to reach the game's hard cash cap, and if you burn them before the final heist, you're stuck with "just" a few million. That might buy you a nice car and a haircut, but it won't buy you the golf course.
The One Mission You Can't Avoid
Look, Rockstar forces your hand early on. You have to do "The Hotel Assassination" to move the story forward. There is no way around it.
Basically, you’re taking out a guy to help Betta Pharmaceuticals. Before you even start the mission, open the browser on all three characters' phones. Go to the BAWSAQ exchange. Dump every single cent into Betta Pharmaceuticals (BET).
Once the target is down, wait. Don't sell immediately. It usually takes about 24 in-game hours to hit the peak. You’re looking for a return of around 40% to 50%. Sell it all. Now, some people say you should buy the rival company, Bilkington, right after, but on modern consoles, that return is kind of buggy and slow. If you’re feeling lucky, wait for Bilkington to bottom out (it takes about a week) and buy it for a long-term rebound of maybe 80% to 100%.
But for the love of everything, do not touch the rest of Lester’s icons. Just let them sit there.
Why Timing Actually Matters
The stock market in GTA 5 is divided into two parts: the LCN and the BAWSAQ. The LCN is "offline" and reacts to your story choices. The BAWSAQ used to be linked to the real-world community, but in 2026, it mostly functions as a scripted market for these missions.
The strategy is simple. You need capital.
The final heist, "The Big Score," is going to net each character roughly $25 million to $40 million, depending on how you played it and who you hired. If you invest $40 million into a stock that jumps 300%, you’re suddenly looking at $120 million. If you do that four more times, you hit the $2.1 billion cap.
If you do these missions when you only have $10,000, you’re making... what? An extra five grand? It’s not worth the effort.
How to Manipulate Time
Check the stock, then go to a safe house. Sleep. You don't even have to actually save the game. Just entering the sleep menu and backing out advances time.
- Michael sleeps for 6 hours.
- Franklin sleeps for 8 hours.
- Trevor sleeps for 12 hours.
Trevor is your best friend for fast-forwarding the market. Use him to skip days until the numbers in your "My Portfolio" tab stop going up and start to dip. That's your cue to sell.
The Multi Target Assassination: The Real Money Maker
This is the one. This is where you go from "doing okay" to "filthy rich." You’re targeting four corrupt jurors who are helping Redwood Cigarettes.
- Before the mission: Do NOT buy anything yet.
- The Hit: Complete the mission.
- The Trade: Immediately after, buy Debonaire (DEB) on the LCN.
- The Peak: It should hit a peak of about 60% to 80% pretty fast. Sell it.
- The Rebound: This is the secret. As soon as you sell Debonaire, go and buy Redwood (RWC). It will be at a rock-bottom price.
Wait.
You might have to sleep for 48 to 96 in-game hours. Redwood is going to rebound like crazy. We’re talking a 300% return. If you put $100 million in, you walk away with $400 million.
It’s honestly kind of ridiculous.
The Rest of the Hit List
The next few missions follow a similar pattern, but the percentages vary.
The Vice Assassination
This one targets a guy at Facade to boost Fruit (FRT) on the BAWSAQ.
- Buy: Fruit (FRT) before the mission.
- Sell: After it hits about 50% gain.
- Optional: Buy Facade (FAC) after it crashes. It usually rebounds about 30%, which isn't huge compared to Redwood, but money is money.
The Bus Assassination
Lester wants you to take out a billionaire via a bus route. This mission is weird because you do not buy anything before it starts.
- The Action: Complete the mission.
- The Buy: Wait for Vapid (VAP) to crash on the BAWSAQ.
- The Payoff: It will eventually rebound 100%. You literally double your money. Just keep sleeping until the percentage hits that sweet 100 mark.
The Construction Assassination
The final one. You’re helping Gold Coast by taking out a rival.
- Buy: GoldCoast (GCD) on the LCN before starting.
- Sell: It should rise by about 80%.
By this point, if you started with the Big Score money, your characters should all be billionaires.
What Most People Get Wrong
People get impatient. They see a 20% gain and panic-sell because they're afraid it'll drop. Or, they forget to invest with all three characters.
Remember, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor have separate bank accounts. If you only invest with Franklin, Michael and Trevor stay "poor." You have to manually switch to each character, open the phone, and dump their life savings into the stock before or after each mission.
Another thing? Save often.
📖 Related: Skyrim Balance of Power: Why This Broken Questline Still Bothers Me
Create a manual save before you start the mission. Create another one after you invest. If the stock market behaves weirdly—which it sometimes does—you can just reload. Sometimes the LCN takes an extra day to update. Sometimes the BAWSAQ peak happens while you're still driving away from the crime scene.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re currently mid-playthrough, here is exactly what you need to do:
- Check your map: If you see any "L" icons other than the very first one, leave them alone.
- Finish the Story: Focus on the main heists. Get the gold from the Union Depository.
- The Big Score Payout: Wait until the money actually hits your account after the final mission.
- The Investment Loop: Follow the order: Multi Target -> Vice -> Bus -> Construction.
- Manual Saves: Use a new save slot before every single investment so you can "time travel" if the market dips too early.
Following this path is the difference between struggling to pay for ammunition and buying every property in Los Santos without even checking the price tag. Keep an eye on those tickers; the numbers don't lie.