Alex Honnold climbed Taipei 101 live on Netflix for ‘embarrassingly low’ pay

Dubai: Alex Honnold just did the unthinkable. Again.

The American climber scaled Taipei 101, one of the world's tallest skyscrapers, without ropes, harness or any safety equipment. The death-defying feat was broadcast live on Netflix on Sunday.

The building stands 508 meters tall with 101 floors. It's made of steel, glass and concrete, designed to resemble a stick of bamboo. Honnold reached the top in one hour and 31 minutes.

His celebration was just one word: "Sick."

In an interview the climber revealed that he was actually paid quite low for the death defying climb.

A weather delay and global audience

The climb was originally scheduled for Saturday but wet weather forced a postponement. When conditions improved, millions tuned in to watch Honnold risk his life in real time.

Netflix confirmed they had a plan in case disaster struck. "We'll cut away," Netflix executive Jeff Gaspin told Variety magazine beforehand. "Nobody expects or wants to see anything like that happen."

The broadcast included a slight delay on the live feed, just in case the worst happened.

Breaking records

Honnold's time was faster than half the previous record. French climber Alain Robert, who calls himself 'Spiderman,' scaled Taipei 101 in four hours back when it was the world's tallest building. But Robert used ropes and a harness.

Honnold climbed completely free solo. No safety net. No backup plan.

Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim congratulated him on X, writing: "I admit I would probably feel sick, too, barely able to watch."

Unexpected distractions

The climb wasn't without surprises. Honnold's wife greeted him at the top, having expressed concern about the wind and heat during his ascent.

But the most unusual moment came at the 89th floor. Fans inside the building cheered and waved at him through the windows. Video shows Honnold continuing undeterred, face to face with spectators but for the glass separating them.

How much was he paid?

Honnold admitted he'd climb Taipei 101 for free if given permission. "I would do it for free. If there was no TV program and the building gave me permission, I would do the thing because I know I can, and it'd be amazing," he told The New York Times.

But because of the global spectacle, he's being paid what he calls "an embarrassing amount" of money.

He refused to reveal the exact figure. "It's an embarrassing amount," he said cryptically.

When pressed whether it was around $10 million, Honnold quickly shut that down. "No! So in that case, yeah, an embarrassingly small amount."

According to The New York Times, sources close to the deal said Honnold will be paid in the mid-six figures.

He put it in perspective: "Actually, if you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it's an embarrassingly small amount. Major League Baseball players get $170 million contracts for someone you haven't even heard of."

Honnold clarified the distinction. "I'm not getting paid to climb the building. I'm getting paid for the spectacle. I'm climbing the building for free."

A living legend

Honnold is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock climbers in the world. He rose to global fame in 2017 after becoming the first person to free solo El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. That 915-meter granite cliff climb was documented in the Oscar-winning 2018 film "Free Solo."

The Taipei 101 climb marks his first 'big handmade structure.' It's a different challenge from natural rock faces.

"If something happens, I would die," he told CNN before the climb. "Though actually, on this particular building, that's not even totally true because there are balconies every few floors. You actually could fall in tons of places and not actually die, which makes it in some ways safer than a lot of rock-climbing objectives."

With 30 years of climbing experience, Honnold continues pushing boundaries and redefining what's possible in extreme sports.