Alex Honnold was reportedly paid in the “mid-six figures” range for his free-solo climb of Taipei 101 for Netflix, widely interpreted as roughly around 500,000 dollars, though no exact figure has been officially confirmed by him.

How much money did Alex Honnold make from Taipei 101?

Most reputable entertainment and news outlets report that:

  • Honnold described his paycheck as “embarrassing” compared with major sports salaries.
  • He did not give an exact number, but interviews and follow‑up reports say he received “mid-six figures” for the climb.
  • “Mid-six figures” usually means somewhere in the $300,000–$700,000 band; several finance/celebrity-money writeups and forum discussions center on an estimate of about $500,000 for the Taipei 101 event.
  • Honnold also said he would have been happy to do the climb for free because the project itself was the real draw for him.

So, the best public answer right now is: a mid–six‑figure paycheck, commonly estimated around $500K, but not officially disclosed to the dollar.

Quick context and forum chatter

Online forums and comment sections have been buzzing since the January 2026 Netflix broadcast:

  • Many posters are surprised that such a high‑risk, globally promoted live climb “only” brought in around half a million dollars, especially compared with mainstream sports or mega‑influencers.
  • Some users argue that for Honnold—who already has a solid net worth from films, sponsorships, and speaking—the experience and exposure may matter more than squeezing out a multi‑million‑dollar fee.
  • Others point out that production companies and platforms likely made far more than he did, which has sparked debate about how extreme athletes are compensated for ultra‑high‑risk performances.

A typical view you’ll see in threads: people feel shocked at how “low” mid‑six figures seems for a life‑or‑death climb, while a smaller group notes that Honnold himself appears more motivated by the challenge than the paycheck.

Bottom line

  • No exact number is public.
  • Credible reporting and follow‑up coverage agree on “mid-six figures” , with many pieces and discussions converging on ~$500,000 as the working estimate for the Taipei 101 climb.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.