PHOTOSHow Much Was Alex Honnold Paid for His Record-Breaking Taipei 101 Climb? 'Embarrassing Amount' Revealed
American climber Alex Honnold was paid what he called an 'embarrassing amount' after climbing Taiwan's iconic Taipei 101.
Jan. 26 2026, Published 8:33 a.m. ET
When Did Alex Honnold Climb Taipei 101?
Alex Honnold is known for his free solo ascents.
Alex Honnold triumphed in ascending Taipei 101, Taiwan's iconic skyscraper that once held the title of the world's tallest building.
At 10:43 a.m. on January 25 local time, the free solo legend completed the ascent and stood on the 1,667-foot summit of the 101-storey tower. He was originally set to climb the building the day prior, but Netflix postponed the highly anticipated event due to weather.
Honnold also posted an update, writing, "Sadly it's raining in Taipei right now so I don't get to go climbing today. But I've been really touched by all the support and well wishes from folks - hopefully the weather improves and I get an opportunity to climb the beautiful Taipei 101. Fingers crossed! Same time tomorrow on @netflix@netflixsports."
Taipei 101 was the world's tallest building from its opening in December 2004 until Burj Khalifa dethroned it in 2009. It is currently the 11th-tallest structure in the world.
What Did Alex Honnold Say About His Climb of Taipei 101?
Alex Honnold scored his latest feat in Taiwan.
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Before the live event, Honnold explained why he agreed to climb the skyscraper.
"I'm sure viewers will probably be on edge watching this," he told Tudum. "I assume that most people will be sort of uncomfortable watching the whole thing. But I hope that viewers get a little bit of my joy from the experience — that they can appreciate the fun of it and the beauty of it, the scenery, just the whole experience. It's not just extreme sports — it's more."
After reaching the urban landmark's peak, Honnold said the experience was "incredible."
"You spend so long thinking about it and imagining that it's possible, but then to actually do it always feels different," he shared.
Honnold also noted the biggest difference between climbing "something in the city" and "something in the middle of nowhere in nature" is that "[he] feels slightly more self-conscious getting off the ground."
He continued, "There is something surreal about waiting for the light to change and crossing a crosswalk before jumping up to climb."
How Much Was Alex Honnold Paid to Climb Taipei 101?
Alex Honnold said he received an 'embarrassing amount' for his Taipei 101 climb.
The nail-biting free solo ascent of the rock climber, however, was not a big payday.
"Maybe. It's less than my agent aspired to," Honnold told The New York Times in an interview published on January 23. "I mean, I would do it for free. 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. I mean, just sitting by yourself on the very top of the spire is insane."
He further explained, "And so, you know, if there wasn't the whole spectacle around it, and I just had the opportunity to go do it by myself, I'd be fine with that. 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."
In comparison, what he received was reportedly an "embarrassingly small amount."
"You know, Major League Baseball players get like $170 million contracts. Like, someone you haven't even heard of and that nobody cares about," Honnold continued.
Sources told The New York Times Honnold was paid "mid-six figures" for the stunt.
