How to Become a Billionaire in Grand Theft Auto 5

While the point of Grand Theft Auto 5 is to pull off one of the greatest heists of all time, that goal is, quite simply, the first step on a long, long road to becoming one of San Andreas’ elite monopolizers. See, while the endgame should see you in the vicinity of $20 million each, give or take, there is so, so much more that you can earn via the Stock Market (BAWSAQ and LCN, naturally.) The question is, how does one become a true billionaire among Los Santos’ celebrities? Let’s talk about it.

How to Make Billions in Grand Theft Auto 5

WARNING: Do not complete Franklin’s Assassination Missions for Lester until you have beaten the final mission, Something Sensible, The Time’s Come, or The Third Way.  If you’ve yet to reach this portion of the main story, then we strongly suggest you opt for “Option C”—The Third Way—for the canon ending and, more importantly, the opportunity to fill Franklin, Michael, and Trevor’s wallets with twenty million dollars.

Once you have completed the campaign and earned your millions from the final score, the first thing you will want to do is make a separate save file. This will allow you to return to your post-campaign position should an issue occur during the stock market section. For instance, should you sleep for too long, or forget to check either BAWSAQ or LCN at the correct times, then you will, in short, end up losing money. But, more on that later.

The idea here, really, is to invest all of your money (yes, all of it) into the stock market both before and after Lester’s Assassination Missions, which consists of the following: The Hotel Assassination, The Multi Target Assassination, The Vice Assassination, The Bus Assassination, and The Construction Assassination. It is worth pointing out here that, in order complete the main story, you will need to accept and beat The Hotel Assassination as Franklin. However, be careful that you do not accidentally accept any of the phone booth contracts until after you have mopped up the final score.

How to Play the Stock Market

The Multi Target Assassination

1. Before the mission: As each character, invest all of your endgame funds into Debonaire via LCN. Before beginning the mission, be sure to check ‘My Portfolio’ to ensure that the stocks are in your account. Then, proceed with the assassination contract.

2. After the mission: Wait for 24 in-game hours by either sleeping or continuing side missions until the return percentage of Debonaire escalates to 70%. Once you have the green light, sell all of your stock and then immediately invest all of your earnings into Redwood Cigarettes via LCN. From there, wait for five in-game days until the return percentage clocks out at just over 300%. Sell all of your stocks, and then make another manual save file.

The Vice Assassination

1. Before the mission: Invest all of your funds into Fruit via BAWSAQ. Note that, unlike LCN, BAWSAQ has a much quicker turnaround time, and therefore is more likely to crash if you spend too long out of the stock market. Typically, a stock will peak after 24 in-game hours, whereas the “bounce back” phase—the time during which you make your post-assassination investments, takes roughly two to three in-game days.

2. After the mission: Sell all of your stock once the return percentage caps out at around 40%, and then immediately invest all of the winnings into Facade via BAWSAQ. After two, maybe three days (always check after each save, just to be safe) you should sell all of your stock once the return percentage hits 30%. Again, make another save file, and prepare for the next contract.

The Bus Assassination

1. Before the mission: Unlike the other contracts, The Bus Assassination does not require an initial investment to get the wheels in motion, so to speak. Instead, you’ll want to continue the assassination as per usual, and then return to the stock market once it has been completed.

2. After the mission: Once you have successfully completed the bus contract, immediately invest all of your money from The Vice Assassination into Vapid via BAWSAQ. Again, return home and wait for three in-game days. Once the return percentage has climbed to 100%, sell all of your stock, and then make another manual save file.

The Construction Assassination

2. Before the mission: Invest every last dollar you have as all three characters into Gold Coast via LCN. Then, complete the contract as normal. Once done, make a final manual save file.

2. After the mission: Return home and wait for up to five in-game days for the return percentages to climb to 80%. From there, sell all of your stock as each character. If timed correctly, Franklin, Michael, and Trevor will finally have somewhere between $700 million and $1 billion in their back pockets.

What Happens After the Stock Market?

The good news is that, while you may have enough money to purchase half of San Andreas with the cash in your bank account, you will only need a few hundred million to unlock all of the business, garages, ports, and helipads. But, this is where things tend to get a little easier — more so once you set out to take ownership of the most lucrative property in the game: Los Santos Golf Club, which costs $150 million. Ouch.

Thankfully, every business that you own across San Andreas has a weekly cash payout, meaning, once you unlock and essentially monopolize the entire map, you should earn upwards of half a million dollars per character per week. In other words, you can expect a steady cash injection of a couple of million dollars just for sitting around by the pool. If you take additional steps to elevate your cash flow, then you can also double your earnings. For example, if you complete trafficking missions, deep sea scavenging tasks, or private cab rides, then you will effectively receive a little extra compensation for your actions. It might not be a huge boon to your back pocket, but it’s still a little extra cheddar for your piggy bank.