It doesn’t matter if you’re an OG who’s ruled the streets or a newcomer trying to make a name, inGTA V, everyone’s after the same prize. Cold, hard cash. It’s the fire that ignites every gunshot, drives every high-speed getaway, and builds empires from blood and ambition. And above all, it’s your only way out of the shadows and into the blazing spotlight.
From legally investing in stocks to assassinating your rivals, there’s a hustle for everyone, because in the chaotic world of GTA V, the only rule is to rise. So gear up, load your guns, and remember, being broke is the only crime Los Santos won’t forgive.
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GTA V mostly rewards high payouts by the end of the story, so when I started playing the game, I was just another broke thug on the street. Stolen cars and LS Customs were my best friends for the early half of the game, and running my empire felt impossible.
But as the game progressed, and I found better-paying ways, doing small-time store robberies drifted far below my league when big banks had my name on the cash. From action-packed heists to simply pressing a few buttons on my mobile, getting cash was a piece of cake, and everyone can join the fun.
8Sell Cars To Los Santos Custom
Drive And Drop!
I know how it is. Starting broke is hard, when all you want to do is strap up and raise hell, but a no-fuss grind to earn your first bit of money is tosteal somehigh-end carsand sell them at Los Santos Customs; dead simple, no stress.
The ridescan flip for $30k, sometimes more if you are lucky, but you can only sell one car per 48 minutes. It may not seem much, but stack it up with other hustles and you will start cooking.
This is the very first thing I always do when starting a new run, as it takes only a few minutes to sell a ride, and the money helps me grab the firepower needed for the other hustles.
7Steal From Armored Vans
Cash On Wheels
You can keep your money-making run active even when exploring the beautiful world of GTA V by simply stealing from the armored vans that spawn randomly around the map. While exploring, a blue dot will appear on the mini-map, often denoting a van with cash.
Just slap some C4 on the back doors, grab the loot, and bounce.It takes less than a minute for the entire gig, and it pays up to $20k cash,making it a slick grind for the rookies trying to stack up fast.
The vans spawn frequently around Blaine County, and I don’t ever stop myself from collecting the cash. It’s fast, no hustle, and the payout is not bad. Just don’t stick there for too long, unless you want the cops on your tail.
6Maudes Bounty Missions
Guns For Hire
After completing the “Mr. Philips” mission as Trevor, you will get a buzz from Maude, asking if you’re down to bag a few bounties. Considering you just got control of Trevor and may need some quick cash, I suggest swinging by Maude and completing the four bounty missions.
Now do keep in mind, dead pays less, and bringing them in breathing will pay you $10k each, so grab a stun gun, or just your fists, and start collecting.
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It’s light work given Trevor’s abilities, and even if you accidentally kill them, you will still receive $5k, so it’s a win-win situation either way. Trevor’s dialogues are pure chaos, and I loved every second of them. I would honestly do these over street races or any other activity.
5Collecting Underwater Briefcases
Deep Dive!
Scattered around the waters of San Andreas are 12 collectable briefcases that can reward the players $7k to $25k for each one, potentially racking up to $200k on all 12. The best part is, these can be collected the moment you set foot on Los Santos, so steal a ride, hit the coast and take the plunge.
Try switching characters after grabbing a case. You might trigger a little duplicating glitch.
It’s always fun collecting these cases because they are always stashed in the best places, like a sunken plane, wreckages, or even near UFOs. It just makes the sea more immersive and brings you a world you might have missed on your first run.
4Random Events
Unexpected Payouts!
While exploring the maps asdifferent characters, twisted and messed-up random events will pop up around you that pay well. For example, when playing as Trevor, you may come across hitchhikers looking for a ride to town, but if you instead drop them off at the Altruist freaks location, the cult will pay you $25k for the “favor”.
Now do that four more times, and you’ll unlock a mad shootout with the cult and walk away $100k richer.
There are other events as well, like whenrunning into some psychos trying to bury a woman alive,or the Bike Thief event for Franklin.
I am all about these wild events because they offer new content to play, a way to stack paper without being bored, and you get to experience how weird GTA V can get.
3Purchasing Properties
Passive Income
After the “Friends United” mission, each character can buy a property ranging from $100k to millions of dollars, but why do that? Because they give the players passive income each in-game week, meaning you canstay AFK, light up the place, or drive around and still rack up a ton of money.
Some of these are pricey, but the payout is worth every dime, like theSmoke On The Waterproperty for Franklin, which pays $9k for just $200k invested, or theMcKenzie Airfieldfor Trevor, which offers fat bills and unlocks extra side missions. But if you have serious cash, then buy the Ten Cent Theater for $20 Million as Michael, and watch $200k roll in every week.
I know collecting cash is important, but so is having fun, and it’s only possible if you buy a few properties and enjoythe gamewhile you earn from your businesses. I like to cruise around when I feel bored, and still end up with cash for days. It’s that awesome.
Classic GTA Way
GTA V awards the player as they progress through the story. The early grind is tough, but as soon as you startcompleting a few heists, your bank will be able to handle all of your problems. It’s one of the best ways of making money because they’re exciting, chaotic and most importantly, the bills are fat.
Aside from the Merryweather Heist,the four other scores can pay you between $1.2 Mill to $20 Mill, and by the time you are done with all of them, nothing on the web will be out of reach.
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I didn’t even try chasing the bag in my first run, but still ended up with millions by the end of the story. That’s how good the payout of each heist is, and for someone collecting cash from the first step in Los Santos, it certainly is a huge boost.
1Stock Market Assassinations
Control The Market
By far, the most profitable way of making money is by combining stock market investments with the Lester Assassination missions. It can easily rack up more than $300 million dollars, and honestly puts every other scheme to shame.
It’s simple to do: invest in the rival company of whoever the target is, and sell when the hit is made, allowing your invested company to rise by 80-90 percent in a few in-game days and land you serious cash. You can also reinvest in the company you sabotaged, which will allow you to buy stocks for cheap and later sell when they heat up again.
It’s tricky, and I love it. It has helped me make more money than I could ever need, which is why this is absolutely essential for anyone trying to reach the triple digits.
Here is a quick guide on what company to invest in before each assassination mission:
Stock To Invest In
Sell Return
Follow-Up Investment
Follow-Up Return
Potential Profit Per Character
Hotel Assassination
Betta Pharmaceuticals
80% Increase
Bilkington
30% Rebound
The Multi-Target Assassination
Debonaire Cigarettes
Redwood Cigarettes
300% Rebound
The Vice Assassination
Fruit Computers
50% Increase
The Bus Assassination
The Construction Assassination
80-90% Increase
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