Taipei, January 26, 2026 – Alex Honnold, famed for his gravity-defying free solo climbs, completed a daring ascent of the 1,667-foot Taipei 101 skyscraper on January 24, but the financial reward for the spectacle was surprisingly modest.
A Skyscraper Climb, a Small Paycheck
The celebrated climber revealed his earnings for the Netflix-broadcasted feat were “an embarrassing amount,” despite thrilling audiences worldwide.
- Honnold, 40, scaled the 101-story Taipei 101 as part of a live Netflix event.
- He admitted his compensation for the climb was considerably less than earnings in mainstream sports.
- Despite the relatively small payout, Honnold stated he would undertake the climb even without financial incentive.
Honnold, known for his featured role in the Academy Award-winning documentary “Free Solo,” didn’t disclose the exact figure but described it as “an embarrassing amount” when questioned by The New York Times in an interview published two days before the climb. He contrasted his earnings with those of professional baseball players, noting that even lesser-known athletes command contracts worth upwards of $170 million.
“Actually, if you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it’s an embarrassingly small amount,” Honnold said. “you know, Major league Baseball players get like $170 million contracts.Like, someone you haven’t even heard of and that nobody cares about.”
Requests for comment sent to both honnold and Netflix have not yet received a response.
When asked if this represented his largest payday to date, Honnold remained characteristically coy. “Maybe. It’s less than my agent aspired to,” he admitted.
However, the financial aspect appeared secondary to the challenge itself. Honnold expressed a willingness to attempt the climb even without a television program or building permission. “If there was no TV program and the building gave me permission to go do the thing, I would do the thing because I know I can, and it’d be amazing,” he explained.
He further clarified his motivation, stating, “I’m not getting paid to climb the building. I’m getting paid for the spectacle. I’m climbing the building for free.”
The climb wasn’t without emotional impact for those close to him. His wif
Explanation of Changes & Answers to Questions:
* Why: Alex Honnold climbed Taipei 101 as a televised spectacle for Netflix,driven by the challenge itself rather than financial gain.
* Who: Alex Honnold, a professional free solo climber, was the primary individual involved. Netflix organized and broadcast the event.
* What: Honnold completed a free solo ascent of the 1,667-foot Taipei 101 skyscraper. He revealed his earnings from the event were surprisingly low compared to mainstream sports.
* How did it end?: The climb was successfully completed on January 24, 2026. While Honnold didn’t disclose the exact amount, he stated his earnings were “an embarrassing amount” and that he would have attempted the climb
