In GTA 5 Story Mode, there are several strategic ways to earn money and build your wealth. One of the most lucrative methods is Lester's Assassination Missions, where you manipulate the stock market to earn millions. Before starting each mission, invest in the competitor of the company being targeted. After completing the mission, the stocks of the competitor rise dramatically, and you can sell them for a massive profit. Additionally, completing main story missions and heists offers solid payouts, especially The Big Score heist, which can net you tens of millions depending on your strategy and crew choice. To boost your wealth even more, explore hidden packages and random encounters scattered throughout the world of Los Santos, or engage in store robberies and armored truck heists for quick cash.

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1. Lester's Assassination Missions + Stock Market

Lester's Assassination Missions provide one of the largest and most strategic ways to earn money in GTA 5's Story Mode. The key is using the stock market to manipulate stock prices and earn millions by investing in the right companies before and after the missions.

How It Works:

Before Starting an Assassination Mission:

• Invest in the competitor of the company being targeted in the mission.
• For example, if the mission targets Debonaire Cigarettes, invest in Facade stocks. If it's a Redwood Cigarettes target, invest in The Bus stocks.

Complete the Assassination Mission:

• After completing the mission, the competitor stocks will rise dramatically due to the disruption in the market.
• Wait for the stock to peak (it can take a few in-game days).

Sell Your Stocks:

• Once the stock reaches its peak value, sell them for a massive profit.
• If done correctly, you can earn millions from each mission.

Tips:

• Don't rush selling immediately; give the stock time to rise.
• Spread your investments among the three main characters (Franklin, Michael, and Trevor) to maximize the payout.

Lester's Assassination Missions include:

• The Hotel Assassination
• The Multi-Target Assassination
• The Vice Assassination
• The Bus Assassination
• The Construction Assassination
• The Big Score (Final Heist)

By planning your stock investments ahead of time for these missions, you can become extremely wealthy by the end of the game.

2. Complete Story Missions and Heists

While the above method can bring in big rewards, Story Missions and Heists are essential to your cash flow, especially for early and mid-game progression.

How It Works:

• Main Story Missions provide regular cash rewards as you progress. However, the big money comes from completing the heists.
• The final heist, The Big Score, is especially lucrative and can net you tens of millions in cash, depending on how well you complete it.

Tips:

• Choose your crew wisely: Your crew's competence affects the payout. Higher-quality crew members require higher upfront fees, but they reduce the risk of failure and increase the reward.
• Maximize heist earnings: When possible, use a conservative approach to maximize the payout. For example, choosing the less risky approach in The Big Score can give you a higher net payout.

3. Find Hidden Packages & Random Cash

Los Santos is filled with hidden treasures, like cash bundles and secret stashes, that you can discover as you explore the world.

How It Works:

Hidden Packages: Scattered throughout Los Santos and Blaine County are hidden packages, often containing cash or valuable items.

• These can be found in secluded locations like underwater caves, remote hills, and other hard-to-reach spots.

Random Encounters: There are random encounters that will pop up as blue dots on your map. Completing them can reward you with money or valuable items. Some of these encounters require a bit of extra effort (e.g., rescuing someone from a gang or completing a specific challenge).

4. Rob Stores or Armored Trucks

If you want some quick cash, robbery is a viable method — although it will attract police attention.

How It Works:

1. Robbing Stores: Walk into a convenience store, aim your weapon at the cashier, and demand money. These are small, quick heists, but they provide a decent amount of cash, especially if you do them often.
2. Armored Trucks: Armored trucks often drive around the city and are full of cash. Stop the truck, fight off the guards, and take the loot. While this method can yield bigger payouts, you need to be prepared for heavily armed resistance and police interference.

Tips:

• Use a fast getaway car to escape quickly from both store robberies and armored truck heists.
• Be quick but cautious: Armored trucks will often have multiple guards and a strong police presence.

5. Invest in the Stock Market (Outside of Assassination Missions)

Even if you're not doing Lester's assassination missions, investing in stocks can still make you a lot of money. The stock market in GTA 5 is dynamic, and stocks fluctuate based on in-game events.

How It Works:

• Monitor Stock Prices: Stock prices will change based on the storyline and your actions.
• Buy Low, Sell High: Purchase stocks when their value is low and sell them when the price peaks. Pay attention to market trends and invest in companies you expect to do well over time.

Tips:

• Invest before missions: Before certain missions or story events, stock prices of companies in the same industry may change drastically. Keep an eye on these trends.
• Save your game before major stock investments, so you can reload and retry if you make a bad investment.

6. Side Activities That Pay

Apart from the main story, there are various side activities in the game that can earn you a decent amount of cash.

How It Works:

• Street Races: Once unlocked, street races offer fast-paced challenges that reward you with money for completing them.
• Random Encounters & Strangers & Freaks: Some of the stranger missions scattered throughout Los Santos reward you with cash after completion. These may involve helping someone in need or completing odd jobs for people around the city.

Tips:

• Repeat activities: Some activities, like races, can be repeated for continued payouts.
• Look out for new events: New Stranger & Freaks missions are always popping up.

Cheats & Glitches (Not Official)

While GTA 5 doesn't have a money cheat, some players have found ways to glitch the game for fast cash, but this carries risks.

How It Works:

• Mods/Trainers: On the PC version, trainers or mods can provide cheats for infinite money or other advantages. These tools manipulate the game's code to give you easy access to funds.
• Money Glitches: Some glitches, like duplication glitches, allow you to duplicate high-value items and sell them for cash.

Tips:

• Use at your own risk: Mods and glitches aren't guaranteed and may corrupt your save file. Always back up your save before trying any glitch.
• Stay up-to-date: Rockstar often patches glitches in GTA 5, so methods may become obsolete.

Quick Tips for Making Money in GTA 5 Story Mode:

• Be strategic with your heists: Don't just rush through missions. Plan your actions carefully to maximize earnings.
• Save before major stock investments: This allows you to reload if your stock picks don't perform well.
• Don't spend on unnecessary items early: Save your money until you unlock more lucrative opportunities later in the game.