How Much Was Alex Honnold Paid By Netflix To Scale Taipei 101? 40-Year-Old Climbs All 101 Floors Of 1,667-Foot Skyscraper Without Safety Gears

Alex Honnold’s back in the spotlight, and this time he’s scaled Taipei 101 no ropes, no safety gear, just his bare hands and a whole lot of nerve.

Alex Honnold Scales Taipei 101 

Netflix called it Skyscraper Live, and yeah, it was exactly what it sounds like. He climbed all 101 floors of that massive 1,667-foot tower, then went for the spire, another 70 meters up. They broadcast the whole thing live, and honestly, watching it felt a little unreal.

The climb was supposed to happen earlier, but the weather got in the way. When it finally did go down on January 24, Honnold just went for it, no fuss, just him and the building.

Before the event, he spoke with The New York Times about his pay. Turns out, it’s nothing compared to what top athletes rake in. “If you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it’s an embarrassingly small amount,” he joked.

How much was Alex Honnold paid? 

“You know, Major League Baseball players get like $170 million contracts.” Nobody’s saying exactly what he made, but word is it’s maybe six figures, maybe less.

But for Honnold, it’s not about the money. He said he’s not getting paid for the risk or the climb itself, he’s getting paid because people want to watch. “If there was no TV program and the building gave me permission, I’d still do it because I know I can, and it’d be amazing,” he said. “I am getting paid for the spectacle.”

While he climbed, his wife Sanni McCandless checked in with Netflix. She seemed calm, all things considered: “I think he’s probably really psyched. It’s beautiful conditions, there’s great energy here and he’s doing what he loves. I’m just trying to stay calm and be in the moment. I’m breezy.”

Taiwan’s Vice President: ‘I would probably feel sick’

Even Taiwan’s Vice President, Hsiao Bi-khim, chimed in on X: “I admit I would probably feel sick, too, barely able to watch.”

At the top, his wife met him, worried about the wind and the heat but mostly just relieved.

And in the middle of all that, something a little wild happened. When Honnold got to the 89th floor, fans inside the building spotted him, pressed their faces to the glass, and cheered him on.

He waved back, just hanging onto the side of the skyscraper like it was no big deal. Honnold and Netflix shared the video on Instagram, and you can see the guy just keeps going, totally focused.

If you know Honnold, you know this isn’t his first time pushing limits. He’s done all kinds of extreme climbs. The documentary Free Solo, about his 3,000-foot ascent of El Capitan, even won an Oscar.

He made it to the top of Taipei 101 safe and sound, becoming the first person ever to free solo the building. Just another wild milestone for one of climbing’s most daring athletes.

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