Do You Need to Do Lester Missions to Continue the Main Story Line

Spoiler Warning: Plot details, ending details, or both are in the text which follows.

" We'll fix the market in our favor and we'll right a few wrongs while we're at it. "

— Lester Crest

Lester's Assassinations are a series of side missions given to Franklin Clinton by Lester Crest in Grand Theft Auto V.

Description

These five missions require the assassination of different targets to give both Lester and Franklin, five different opportunities to gain a massive income from the stock market.

Before the player starts any of the missions, be sure to buy as many stocks before (or after for Bus Assassination) the mission is taken. After the missions wait a few minutes and the market will change (the stock market will change every 30 seconds), so be patient and wait for the stock to reach maximum before selling, it depends on the mission/stock market, but it's not uncommon to go beyond 50% increase (150% for Bus Assassination), but most of the times it will level out at around 80%.

The assassination missions are required for 100% completion but may be done after the main storyline ends (the only exception being The Hotel Assassination which is part of the storyline as it provides Franklin with a new safehouse). Players wishing to maximize the amount of money made by the characters may therefore wish to wait until after the main storyline ends before engaging in these missions, and particularly after receiving the cut from The Big Score which pays out after completing The Third Way, Something Sensible or The Time's Come.

Lester will give Franklin a hint to what is going to happen after the assassination, the missions are often a personal matter for Lester, but most of the times it is just for personal gain. He will advise which stocks to buy and when.

Benefits

The player can use the stock market profits from these missions to buy the more expensive properties/businesses such as the Los Santos Golf Club, or any of the three cinemas available for Michael De Santa that would otherwise be unaffordable. It is advised to do all of them (excluding The Hotel Assassination) after The Big Score to ensure a maximum payout from larger stock investments.

Missions

The Hotel Assassination

In the introductory assassination, Lester explains his stock market manipulation to Franklin. He then asks him about Mollis, a hardness pill produced by Betta Pharmaceuticals. He explains that he has a major investment with them and that he wants Franklin to take care of the CEO of their competition; Brett Lowrey, who has produced a heart-stopping version called Priapol for his company; Bilkinton Research. He suggests to use Sticky Bombs or a Sniper Rifle. Once this is done, he rewards Franklin with $9,000 and a new safehouse in the Vinewood Hills.

This mission is required to progress the storyline.

Stock Tip

Pre-mission preparation:
- As Michael (Optional):
  - Strangers and Freaks: The Truth missions, while betraying the Epsilon Program during the finale; $2,009,500 (net profit).
- As Trevor (Optional):
  - Random Event: Altruist Camp Shootout; $103,000.
  - Random Event: Drug Shootout; $10,000 - $100,000.
  - Strangers and Freaks: Maude's Bail Bond missions; $20,000 - $40,000, depending on tactics.
  - Strangers and Freaks: Nigel's Vinewood Souvenir mission The Last Act; $10,000, by letting Al Di Napoli live.
  - Purchase the McKenzie Field Hangar: $5000+ for Arms Trafficking Ground and $7000+ for Arms Trafficking Air each time.
- As any character (Optional - likely Franklin or Trevor):
  - Purchase the Sonar Collections Dock and collect all the Nuclear Waste; $690,000+ (net profit).
  - Random event: Gray's Bike Theft; $100,000 in Animal Ark stock (sell/reinvest).
  - Random event: Buried Alive; $60,000+.
  - Random event: Deal Gone Wrong; $25,000+.
  - Random event: Countryside Shootout; $10,000.
  - Random event: Security Vans; ~$5000 each.
- Make sure it's Monday; if not, let any of the protagonists sleep numerous times to advance the time to Monday (Trevor can sleep for 12 hours).
- Invest all the money of all three protagonists in Betta Pharmaceuticals stocks on the Bawsaq site.
Post-mission
- Wait for a few in-game hours or sleep once before selling the stocks so that they can reach their maximum value; the percentage of return here is ~50%. Be advised - after about 24 in-game hours, the value of the stock will start to drop.
- 240% return on re-invested funds.
  
  Once again, invest all the money of all three characters, but this time choose Bilkinton Research. Their share price has cratered, but will start to recover within about 72 in-game hours. It should fully mature to its pre-assassination level in another 72 in-game hours. The percentage of return here can easily surpass 100%.
Timeline: Purchase Betta Pharmaceuticals stock and complete the mission on Monday, sell the stock by Tuesday, purchase Bilkinton Research stock by Friday, and sell that stock anytime after the following Monday.

Note: save the game in a different slot before doing this mission, so you can reload in case anything goes wrong.

The Dollar Pills stock is an alternative, in case the player is unable to access the Bawsaq site, just do as explained above and you should get a percentage of return of 100% with the Dollar Pills.

The Multi Target Assassination

Franklin answers a phone call at a pay phone next to the Limited Service Car Wash in Little Seoul where Lester explains that Redwood Cigarettes are planning to rig the jury on a class action lawsuit. He tells him to assassinate 4 jurors. The first target is a bodybuilder at Muscle Sands Gym in Vespucci Beach. The second target is on his yacht near the Pipeline Inn (the player will need a sniper rifle to do this easily). The third target is on a window cleaning platform at West Eclipse Medical Tower (once again, a sniper rifle is needed). The final target is on his bike in Vinewood Hills. Once this is done and any wanted level is lost, the mission is passed and the player is rewarded $7000.

This mission is not required to progress the storyline.

Stock Tip

Pre-mission preparation:
- Make sure it's Monday, if not, keep sleeping as any of the protagonists numerous times to advance the time to Monday. (Trevor can sleep for 12 hours)
- Invest all the money of all three protagonists in Debonaire stocks on the LCN site.
Post-mission:
- Wait a couple of in-game days before selling the stocks so they can reach their maximum value. Just keep sleeping.
- The maximum percentage of return here is about 60%, after reaching this value it will start to drop. Switch to all three protagonists and sell all their stocks.
- Now, invest all the money of the three protagonists in Redwood Cigarettes stocks.
- Wait for 48-96 hours in game so the stocks can reach their maximum value, the fastest way to advance time is sleeping as Trevor.
- The maximum percentage of return here is about 300%, after reaching this value it will start to drop. Switch to all three protagonists and sell all their stocks.

Note: Save the game in a different slot before doing this mission so you can retry in case anything goes wrong.

The Vice Assassination

Franklin answers a phone call at a pay phone in Legion Square. Lester tells Franklin that the next target is Facade's CEO Jackson Skinner. He informs him of a working girl he visits regularly in La Puerta. After several cars pass, Skinner's car appears and the girl gets in. The player can now wait for the car to pass and blow it up, which will result in a wanted level, or they can snipe him and drive off quickly to avoid attention. The mission passes and the player is rewarded with $3000. No wanted level will give the player a $2000 bonus.

This mission is not required to progress the storyline.

Stock Tip

Pre-mission preparation:
- Make sure it's Monday, if not, keep sleeping as any of the protagonists numerous times to advance the time to Monday. (Trevor can sleep for 12 hours)
- Invest all the money of all three protagonists in Fruit Computers stock on the Bawsaq site.
Post-mission:
- Wait a couple of in-game hours before selling the stocks, so they can reach their maximum value. This one is faster, it will only take 6-8 hours, so it's not necessary to sleep.
- The maximum percentage of return here is about 50%, after reaching this value it will start to drop. Switch to all three protagonists and sell all their stocks.
- Now, invest all the money of the three protagonists in Facade stocks.
- Wait for 48 hours in game so the stocks can reach their maximum value, the fastest way to advance time is sleeping as Trevor.
- The maximum percentage of return here is about 33%, after reaching this value it will start to drop. Switch to all three protagonists and sell all their stocks.

Note: save the game in a different slot before doing this mission, so you can reload in case anything goes wrong.

Use all the cash earned from the previous assassination mission, the player should now have more than $700,000,000. Remember to not spend any cash until the assassination missions are done.

The Bus Assassination

Franklin's next call is from a payphone on Hawick Avenue. Here, Lester informs him about Isaac Penny, who plans to buy a controlling interest in Vapid. He informs him that he is a tight-fisted billionaire who rides the bus to and from work every day. Franklin takes over the route and upon getting to Penny's stop he berates Franklin for being late and refuses to get on when he is asked to pay $1.50. Franklin then chases and kills him and leaves the area. He is rewarded with $7000.

This mission is not required to progress the storyline.

Stock Tip

Pre-mission preparation:
- Make sure it's Monday, if not, keep sleeping as any of the protagonists numerous times to advance the time to Monday. (Trevor can sleep for 12 hours)
- Do not make any investments yet.
Post mission:
- Now, invest all the money of the three protagonists in Vapid stocks in the Bawsaq site.
- Wait for 48 hours in game so the stocks can reach their maximum value, the fastest way to advance time is sleeping as Trevor.
- The maximum percentage of return here is about 100%, after reaching this value it will start to drop. Switch to all three protagonists and sell all their stocks.

Note: save the game in a different slot before doing this mission, so you can reload in case anything goes wrong.

Use all the cash earned from the previous assassination mission, the player should now have more than $1,400,000,000. Remember to not spend any cash until the assassination missions are done.

The Construction Assassination

Franklin answers another call from a payphone in La Mesa near Los Santos Customs and Ammu-Nation. Lester tells him the next target is Enzo Bonelli. He is hiding at a construction site in Pillbox Hill under armed guard due to Lester's informant letting him know what was coming. Franklin shoots through and arrives at the roof. He then shoots down Bonelli's chopper and skydives to the ground. Upon calling Lester, he is told there is too much heat and that they are going to let the dust settle. Franklin is rewarded with $10,000.

This mission is not required to progress the storyline.

Stock Tip

Pre-mission preparation:
- Make sure it's Monday, if not, keep sleeping as any of the protagonists numerous times to advance the time to Monday. (Trevor can sleep for 12 hours)
- Invest all the money of all three protagonists in Gold Coast stocks on the LCN site.
Post-mission:
- Wait a couple of in-game hours before selling the stocks, so they can reach their maximum value. This one takes about 24 hours in game.
- The maximum percentage of return here is about 80%, after reaching this value it will start to drop. Switch to all three protagonists and sell all their stocks.

Note: save the game in a different slot before doing this mission, so you can reload in case anything goes wrong.

Use all the cash earned from the previous assassination mission, the player should now have more than $2,100,000,000. Now the player is free to spend the money.

Maximum Income

Because Rockstar Games uses a 32-bit signed integer in Grand Theft Auto V, the maximum income the player can earn from the Assassination Missions is limited to $2,147,483,467 which equals to 2³¹-1.^[1] After reaching this amount of cash, the game will start to glitch and will not pass this number. Players can work around the 32-bit signed integer limit by investing some cash in the high value stock (e.g. Ammu-Nation) and re-selling to top up their bank account back up to the limit each time they spend any cash.

Patch

As of the Title Update 1.14 on 10-20-2015, return percentages are reduced, presumably to prevent players exceeding the integer limit which was known to be causing unexpected behaviour or errors.

Updated returns (examples)

The following table lays out potential stock returns for each assassination as tested after the 1.14 update.

Mission	Competing Stock	Return	Recovering Stock	Return
The Multi-target Assassination
	Debonaire (DEB)	~50%	Redwood (RWC)	~300%
	Begin: +/- 50 million		End: +/- 300 million
The Vice Assassination
	Fruit (FRT)	25%	Facade (FAC)	33.33%
	Begin: +/- 300 million		End: +/- 500 million
The Bus Assassination
	N/A	N/A	Vapid (VAP)	100%
	Begin: +/- 500 million		End: +/- 1,000 million
The Construction Assassination
	GoldCoast (GCD)	~50%	N/A	N/A
	Begin: +/- 1,000 million		End: +/- 1,500 million
LCN; Story Mode stock exchange, dependent on in-game time and RNG.
BAWSAQ; Online stock exchange, dependent on real time and the Social Club.

Video Walkthroughs

GTA 5 - Stock Market Guide (How to make money)

GTA 5 PC - Mission 33 - Hotel Assassination Gold Medal Guide - 1080p 60fps

GTA 5 PC - Mission 34 - The Multi Target Assassination Gold Medal Guide - 1080p 60fps

GTA 5 PC - Mission 42 - The Vice Assassination Gold Medal Guide - 1080p 60fps

GTA 5 PC - Mission 43 - The Bus Assassination Gold Medal Guide - 1080p 60fps

GTA 5 PC - Mission 48 - The Construction Assassination Gold Medal Guide - 1080p 60fps

Trivia

Technically, Friend Request counts as an assassination as it helps Lester manipulate the stock market.
Investing all of Franklin's money from The Jewel Store Job before The Hotel Assassination can help the player get the Los Santos Customs on Route 68 early on in the game, which is useful for several missions including I Fought the Law...

References

↑ The limit of a 32 bit signed integer, as explained here: Wikipedia:Integer (computer science)

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Missions in Grand Theft Auto V

Introduction

Prologue | Franklin and Lamar

Simeon Yetarian

Repossession | Complications

Lamar Davis

Part 1	Chop \| The Long Stretch

Part 2	Hood Safari

Michael De Santa

Part 1	Father/Son \| Marriage Counseling \| Daddy's Little Girl

Part 2	Mr. Philips

Part 3	Fame or Shame

Part 4	Did Somebody Say Yoga?

Part 5	Minor Turbulence

Part 6	Bury the Hatchet

Part 7	Reuniting the Family

Part 8	Meltdown

Lester Crest

Part 1	Friend Request \| Casing the Jewel Store

Part 2	The Hotel Assassination \| The Multi Target Assassination \| The Vice Assassination \| The Bus Assassination \| The Construction Assassination

Part 3	Surveying the Score

Part 4	Cleaning out the Bureau

Part 5	Planning the Big Score

Heists

Option A

The Jewel Store Job (Loud) | The Merryweather Heist (Freighter) | The Bureau Raid (Fire Crew) | The Big Score (Subtle)

Option B

The Jewel Store Job (Smart) | The Merryweather Heist (Offshore) | The Bureau Raid (Roof) | The Big Score (Obvious)

No Options

Blitz Play | The Paleto Score

Option A Heist Setup

The Jewel Store Job	Carbine Rifles

The Merryweather Heist	Minisub

The Bureau Raid	Fire Truck \| Getaway Vehicle

The Big Score	Stingers \| Gauntlet - Pillbox Hill \| Gauntlet - Rockford Hills \| Gauntlet - Mission Row

Option B Heist Setup

The Jewel Store Job	Bugstars Equipment \| BZ Gas Grenades

The Merryweather Heist	Cargobob \| Minisub

The Bureau Raid	N/A

The Big Score	Driller \| Sidetracked \| Getaway Vehicle