American climber Alex Honnold made headlines in January after scaling Taipei 101, Taiwan’s 508-meter skyscraper, without ropes or safety equipment. The “free solo” ascent, broadcast live by Netflix on January 25, 2026, took 91 minutes and drew thousands of cheering spectators.
Photo: Netflix
But here’s the twist: Honnold revealed in an interview with The New York Times that his paycheck for the daring stunt was surprisingly modest.
“Actually, if you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it’s an embarrassingly small amount,” Honnold said, jokingly comparing it to the multi-million dollar contracts of Major League Baseball players.
While he declined to give an exact figure, sources told the Times that Honnold was paid in the mid-six figures—around $500,000 (~₱29 million). For a feat watched around the world and broadcast live, that might sound low, but Honnold made it clear money wasn’t the real motivation.
“I would do that, but in this case, there is a spectacle. I’m not getting paid to climb the building. I’m getting paid for the spectacle. I’m climbing the building for free,” he said.
Honnold’s Taipei 101 climb wasn’t just another stunt—it was historic. The skyscraper, which was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010, became the first 101-story building that Honnold has climbed without any safety gear. His climb had full permission from both Taipei 101 management and the city government, making it one of the rare occasions when a world-class daredevil is legally allowed to scale a building of this size.
Honnold previously considered climbing the building without authorization, but chose to respect the rules and the team supporting the feat. “Out of respect for the building and respect for all the people on the team who’d allowed me access… I’m not going to poach this,” he said.
The climb also earned praise from Taiwanese officials, with President Lai Ching-te sharing on social media that it showcased “the warmth and passion of the Taiwanese people, and the beautiful hills and scenery of this land.”
For perspective, this isn’t the first time Taipei 101 has been climbed. French climber Alain Robert, nicknamed “Spiderman,” scaled the skyscraper in 2004 using a safety rope, taking four hours to complete his ascent.
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