how much was alex honnold paid by netflix

February 18, 2026

Alex Honnold has not publicly revealed the exact dollar amount Netflix paid him, but multiple reputable outlets report that he was paid in the “mid-six figures” , i.e., roughly around $500,000, for the Taipei 101 “Skyscraper Live” climb on Netflix. He himself has described the fee as an “embarrassingly small amount” when compared to earnings in mainstream sports, and has repeatedly said he would have done the climb for free because he cared more about the challenge than the paycheck.

How much was Alex Honnold paid by Netflix?

The closest public number

Netflix and Honnold have not released an official, precise figure.

Multiple news reports, citing people with direct knowledge of the deal or The New York Times, say his pay was in the mid-six figures.

“Mid-six figures” is widely interpreted as around $500,000 (roughly somewhere in the $400k–$600k band, with many outlets and forum discussions using $500k as the shorthand figure).

So, if you’re looking for a simple takeaway for “how much was Alex Honnold paid by Netflix,” the best public estimate is that he earned about half a million dollars for the Taipei 101 Netflix special, but it is not confirmed as an exact number , just reported as “mid-six figures.”

What Honnold himself has said

Honnold called the amount “embarrassingly small ” in the context of mainstream sports salaries, pointing out that MLB players can sign contracts worth around $170 million, even if they’re not household names.

He has emphasized that it’s “maybe” the most he’s ever been paid for a single climb, but still less than what his agent had hoped for.

He also said he would happily do the climb for free if there were no TV production and he simply had permission to climb the building; he frames the payment as being “for the spectacle,” not for the climb itself.

In short: he seemed more proud of the climb than the paycheck, and almost slightly amused or sheepish about the money.

Why the amount feels “small” yet big

From a fan or “normal job” perspective, mid-six figures for about 90 minutes of climbing sounds huge. But there are a few angles people discuss:

Risk vs. reward : Free soloing a skyscraper like Taipei 101 is extraordinarily risky; many fans and commentators argue that a mid-six-figure fee feels low relative to the potential consequences.

Compared to other Netflix talent : Commenters often contrast his reported fee with sums Netflix has paid other stars (for example, tens of millions for celebrity comedy specials or events), which makes his paycheck seem modest by comparison.

Lifestyle factor : Honnold is known for living simply, spending years in a van and being frugal, so even “mid-six figures” can go a very long way for him, which some fans note when defending the deal.

Forum and trending discussion

The topic “how much was Alex Honnold paid by Netflix” has been trending across:

Entertainment news sites that picked up the “embarrassingly small amount” quote and highlighted the mid-six-figure estimate.

Reddit threads in TV, sports, and climbing communities, where users repeat the “$500k” ballpark, debate whether that’s fair, and compare it to huge Netflix deals with other celebrities.

Commenters frequently point out that, while $500k is life-changing for most people, it might still undervalue a uniquely dangerous live spectacle that draws global attention.

Key takeaway

There is no confirmed exact paycheck number published by Netflix or Honnold.
The most consistent, sourced description is that he was paid “mid-six figures,” commonly interpreted as around $500,000 , and Honnold himself downplays it as “embarrassingly small” by big-sport standards while saying he’d have done the climb for free.

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