GTA 5 Story Mode Heist Guide: Max Cash Payouts & Ending Choices Walkthrough

1. Overview of the 5 Major Storyline Heists in GTA 5

Throughout the campaign, Michael, Franklin, and Trevor execute five massive scores across San Andreas:

1. The Jewel Store Job (Vangelico Jeweler, Rockford Hills)

• Target: Luxury diamond necklaces, watches, and gemstones.
• Payout Range: $4,300,000 to $4,900,000 total.

2. The Merryweather Heist (Port of Los Santos & Offshore)

• Target: Experimental military superweapon belonging to Merryweather Security.
• Payout: $0 (Forced return due to government intervention).

3. The Paleto Score (Blaine County Savings Bank)

• Target: Corrupted police and military funds stored in Paleto Bay.
• Payout Range: $8,000,000 (Degrades as cops shoot money bags).

4. The Bureau Raid (FIB Headquarters Tower, Downtown)

• Target: Classified government hard drives stored in the federal archives.
• Payout: Franklin receives ~$240,000 (Michael receives no cut).

5. The Big Score (Union Depository, Downtown Los Santos)

• Target: 4 tons of pure gold bullion valued at $201,600,000.
• Payout Range: $16,000,000 to $41,600,000+ per protagonist!

2. The Jewel Store Job: The Smart Approach Guide

The inaugural heist introduces heist planning boards at Lester Crest's garment factory. You must choose between two approaches:

Choice: The Smart Approach (Recommended)

• Setup Requirements: Steal BZ Gas canisters from a Humane Labs van, and obtain a Bugstars extermination pest control van.
• Execution: Franklin climbs to the roof of the adjacent building and drops a BZ Gas canister into the air conditioning ventilation duct, knocking out all jewelry store employees and customers instantly. Michael and the crew enter in hazmat suits and smash display cases with zero alarms or civilian interference.
• Optimal Crew Selection:
• Driver: Karim Denz (8% cut) — Although he supplies street motorcycles instead of dirt bikes, Franklin's special driving ability easily compensates.
• Gunman: Packie McReary (12% cut) or Norm Richards (7% cut) — *Important Note*: If you pick Norm, he crashes his motorcycle in the sewer tunnel and drops his jewelry bag; Franklin can drive over the bag to retrieve the full $1.5M without paying Norm's cut!
• Hacker: Rickie Lukens (4% cut) — Gives 50 seconds to loot the display cases. Loot the center glass cases first to maximize yield before exiting into the Los Santos storm drain system.

3. The Big Score: Maximizing the $201M Gold Payout

The climax of the campaign is the heist of the century: hitting the Union Depository vault. This single mission dictates whether your characters finish the campaign modestly comfortable or filthy rich:

Choice: The Subtle Approach vs. The Obvious Approach

• The Obvious Approach: Involves drilling into the bank vault using a heavy tunnel borer, airlifting the gold via two Skycrane helicopters, and defending against Merryweather choppers. While action-packed, crew cuts and helicopter logistics reduce your final take.
• The Subtle Approach (Maximum Profit):
• Michael, Trevor, and hired guns disguise themselves as armored security guards driving hijacked Securicar vans, cleanly transferring 4 tons of gold onto modified Gauntlet muscle cars.
• Franklin uses a traffic control terminal to manipulate Los Santos streetlights, leading police pursuit into underground freeway tunnels where the cars load onto moving semi-trailers.

Optimal Subtle Crew Roster (Earn $41,600,000+ per Character):

• Driver 1: Karim Denz (8% cut) — If you used him on previous heists, his skill is maxed out and he drives the getaway semi flawlessly!
• Driver 2: Taliana Martinez (5% cut) — Unlocked via a random encounter on the highway; provides 100% expert driving skill at the lowest fee in the game!
• Gunman 1: Daryl Johns (6% cut) — Low-cost muscle who survives the shootout cleanly.
• Gunman 2: Norm Richards (7% cut) — Low cut, performs his job smoothly.
• Hacker: Rickie Lukens (4% cut) — By the final heist, Rickie's skill has improved so he handles the traffic light hack with zero delay!
• Total Crew Cut: Only 30% of the gold take is paid out to crew members, leaving over $124 Million split three ways among Michael, Franklin, and Trevor!

4. Lester's Assassination Stock Market Investment Strategy

Once the main campaign is completed and each protagonist has over $30 million from The Big Score, DO NOT complete Lester Crest's assassination missions right away! By delaying Lester's missions until the post-game, you can invest your entire heist fortune into the LCN and BAWSAQ stock exchanges to turn $30M into over $2.1 Billion per character:

1. The Hotel Assassination (Required during early story):

• Invest all money into Betta Pharmaceuticals (BET) before the mission. Sell after the mission when it reaches +50% profit.

2. The Multi-Target Assassination:

• Invest into Debonaire Cigarettes (DEB) on the LCN before the mission. Sell at +80% profit. Then immediately buy fallen rival Redwood (RWD); wait 48 in-game hours and sell Redwood at a massive +300% profit!

3. The Vice Assassination:

• Invest into Fruit (FRT) on the BAWSAQ exchange. Sell at +50% profit. Then buy competitor Facade (FAC) and sell at +33% profit.

4. The Bus Assassination:

• Do NOT invest before the mission! After assassinating Isaac Penny, invest your fortune into crashed stock Vapid (VAP). Wait two in-game days and sell at a clean +100% profit.

5. The Construction Assassination:

• Invest into Gold Coast Development (GCD) before the mission. Sell at +80% profit once the construction executive is eliminated.

Following this exact sequence maxes out the 32-bit signed integer cash limit ($2,147,483,647) for Michael, Franklin, and Trevor, allowing you to purchase every single golf course, cinema, and hangar in San Andreas!

5. Ending A, Ending B, or Ending C: The Definitive Choice

At the conclusion of the campaign, FIB agents Steve Haines and Dave Norton order Franklin to kill Trevor, while billionaire Devin Weston orders Franklin to kill Michael. Franklin opens his smartphone to make the fateful decision:

Option A: Kill Trevor (Something Sensible)

• Franklin chases Trevor into the oilfields; Michael arrives and rams Trevor's truck into an oil tank. Franklin or Michael shoots the leaking gasoline, incinerating Trevor.
• Outcome: Trevor is permanently dead and removed from the game. You lose his missions, his special rage ability, and his share of future assets. *Not recommended.*

Option B: Kill Michael (The Time's Come)

• Franklin chases Michael to the Palmer-Taylor Power Station. After a confrontation atop an industrial silo, Michael falls to his death.
• Outcome: Michael is permanently dead. Michael's family hates Franklin, and Michael's properties become inaccessible. *Not recommended.*

Option C: Deathwish (The Third Way - Canon Ending)

• Franklin refuses to betray either mentor. Instead, the trio teams up with Lester, lures both the FIB strike team and Merryweather mercenaries into an abandoned foundry, and wipes out all hostile forces.
• The protagonists then split up to eliminate all their enemies across Los Santos in one single night:
• Michael assassinates Chinese triad boss Stretch and gang leader Wei Cheng.
• Franklin tracks down and eliminates corrupt FIB agent Steve Haines on the Del Perro ferris wheel.
• Trevor infiltrates the estate of Russian mobster Peter Dreyfuss and kidnap billionaire Devin Weston, locking him in the trunk of his own sports car.
• All three heroes meet at the coastal cliffs of Paleto Cove and push Devin Weston's car off the cliff into the Pacific Ocean.
• Outcome: All three protagonists survive! Full access to Michael, Franklin, and Trevor remains permanent, and all three characters keep their multi-million dollar payouts!