You've probably heard the rumors that you can walk away from Grand Theft Auto V with over $2 billion in your pocket. It sounds like one of those old-school playground myths, but it’s actually a hard-coded reality of the game. Most people just play through the story, kill the targets Lester tells them to, and wonder why they’re still struggling to buy the more expensive properties like the Los Santos Golf Club.
The secret isn't just about the "Hotel Assassination" or "The Multi Target Assassination." It's about the math of the lester gta 5 stocks and, more importantly, the order in which you do things. If you do these missions as soon as they pop up on your map, you’re basically throwing away hundreds of millions of dollars.
Here is the truth: Lester’s missions are the only guaranteed way to manipulate the stock market in Los Santos. But to reach that billionaire status, you have to be patient. You have to treat the stock market like a high-stakes chess game where Franklin is the piece and Lester is the grandmaster.
The One Mistake That Ruins Your Billions
Basically, you need to stop doing Lester’s missions.
Right now.
Aside from the first one—the Hotel Assassination, which is mandatory to progress the main story—you should leave every single "L" icon on your map alone until the credits roll. Why? Because your profit is a percentage of your total investment. If you invest $10,000 and get an 80% return, you made $8,000. Big deal. But if you finish the final heist, "The Big Score," and have $30 million per character, that same 80% return turns into $24 million.
Multiply that across five missions and several "rebound" trades, and that’s how you end up with enough money to buy every single plane, tank, and cinema in the state.
Mastering The Timing
The stock market in Los Santos operates on two exchanges: the LCN and the BAWSAQ. The LCN is offline and reacts mostly to your specific story actions. BAWSAQ is "online" (though it still works in single-player) and can sometimes be a bit more finicky with its refresh rates.
To make this work, you have to use all three characters—Michael, Franklin, and Trevor. Before you start a mission, switch between each guy and dump every single cent they have into the target stock.
The Step-by-Step Blueprint for Lester GTA 5 Stocks
If you want the maximum payout, follow this specific sequence after you’ve completed the main story and have your heist money sitting in the bank.
1. The Multi Target Assassination (The Double Dip)
This is where the real wealth starts. Before you even trigger the mission, open the LCN exchange and buy Debonaire (DEB). Once the four jurors are dead, the stock will climb.
Wait about 8 to 24 in-game hours. You’re looking for a peak of roughly 80%. Sell everything.
But don't stop there. Immediately after selling Debonaire, put all that money into Redwood (RWC). It will have crashed because of your actions. You’ll need to wait several in-game days—usually about 48 to 72 hours. Go to your safehouse and sleep repeatedly to advance time. When Redwood rebounds, it can hit a staggering 300% return.
2. The Vice Assassination
This hit targets a guy from Facade to help Fruit Computers (FRT). Before the mission, go to the BAWSAQ exchange. Buy Fruit with everyone.
After the mission, the stock usually peaks around 50%. Sell it. Some players suggest buying Facade (FAC) after it crashes for a rebound, but in many modern versions of the game, that rebound is less reliable than the Fruit spike. Stick to the sure thing if you’re worried.
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3. The Bus Assassination (The Crash Play)
This one is different. Do not buy anything before the mission.
After you take out the target on the bus, the Vapid (VAP) stock will absolutely tank on the BAWSAQ. Wait for it to hit its floor—usually about two days after the mission. Once it stops dropping, buy in with everything you have. Wait another few days for the recovery and sell at a 100% profit. You’ve just doubled your entire net worth in a week of in-game time.
4. The Construction Assassination
The final big move. Before you start, buy GoldCoast (GCD) on the LCN. This is a straightforward "buy before, sell after" play. Once you finish the hit at the construction site, wait about 24 hours. You’re looking for an 80% return.
Why Your Percentages Might Look Different
Honestly, the stock market can be a bit moody. If you’re playing on an older console like the PS3 or Xbox 360, some of these returns are actually much higher. On the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X versions, Rockstar tweaked the numbers slightly.
If you see a stock start to dip even a little bit after it’s been rising, sell immediately. Don't get greedy waiting for a "perfect" 80% if it's stalling at 76%. Also, always create a manual save before you buy and before you sell. If the market behaves weirdly, you can just reload and try again.
Pro Tip: The Sleep Method
Checking the phone every two minutes is annoying. The fastest way to move the market is to go to a bed and enter the save menu, then immediately back out. You don't actually have to save.
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- Michael sleeps for 6 hours.
- Franklin sleeps for 8 hours.
- Trevor sleeps for 12 hours.
Using Trevor to "skip" time is the fastest way to get to those 48-hour rebound peaks.
Moving Forward With Your Millions
Once you’ve mastered the lester gta 5 stocks, you’ll likely have more money than the game’s interface can even display properly. It’s a surreal feeling to go from robbing convenience stores for $400 to having a portfolio worth $2.1 billion.
At this point, you should head straight for the luxury properties. Buy the McKenzie Field Hangar for Trevor or the Los Santos Golf Club for $150 million. Since you’ve manipulated the market to its limit, these purchases won't even dent your bank account. Just remember to keep a few manual saves from before you started the assassination string—just in case you want to relive the glory days of being a "broke" criminal.
To get started right now, check your map for the "L" icon. If you haven't finished the main story heists yet, leave it alone. Go finish the Union Depository job first so you have the maximum capital to play with. Then, and only then, call Lester.