how much will alex honnold make climbing taipei 101
There is no publicly confirmed exact dollar figure for how much Alex Honnold will make (or has made) for climbing Taipei 101 on Netflix’s Skyscraper Live , but the best available reporting puts it in the mid–six-figure range, likely somewhere around a few hundred thousand dollars rather than millions.
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How Much Will Alex Honnold Make Climbing Taipei 101?
Quick Scoop
Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 free solo for Netflix is being described as a “staggering” payday for a climber, but still “embarrassingly small” compared to mainstream sports stars.
Multiple outlets report that Netflix is paying him in the mid–six figures , which usually means a few hundred thousand dollars (for example, somewhere broadly in the ballpark of 300k–700k USD), not the multi‑million sums thrown around in big league sports.
In simple terms: big money for a climber, modest money by pro‑athlete standards.
What Do We Actually Know About His Pay?
Short answer: the exact contract number is not public, but several consistent hints outline the range.
Confirmed from interviews and reports
- Honnold has said the amount is an “embarrassingly small” figure when compared to mainstream sports like Major League Baseball.
- He emphasized that baseball players can sign contracts worth around 170 million dollars, while his Taipei 101 check is tiny relative to that.
- The New York Times reporting (summarized by other outlets) and sports coverage describe the fee as “mid–six figures”.
- Honnold also admitted that, for him personally, it might be his biggest single payday so far, though still less than his agent hoped.
Reported range (but still not officially confirmed)
- “Mid–six figures” usually implies roughly the middle band of the 100,000–999,999 range – think a few hundred thousand, not near a million.
- Some forum discussions and secondary pieces speculate more concretely (for example, numbers like around 500k get tossed around), but these are unverified estimates , not contract disclosures.
So if you’re asking “how much will Alex Honnold make climbing Taipei 101,” the most honest, evidence‑based answer is:
He is expected to make a mid–six‑figure fee from Netflix, likely several hundred thousand dollars, but the exact number has not been publicly released.
Why He Calls It “Embarrassing” Money
Even though the payday is big by normal standards, Honnold is very aware of how it looks next to other sports.
His own comments
- In interviews, he explicitly calls the amount “embarrassingly small” in the context of top‑tier pro sports contracts.
- When an interviewer floated a hypothetical multi‑million figure (around the 10‑million range), Honnold immediately said no , confirming that this climb is nowhere near that level.
- He also stresses that he’d climb Taipei 101 for free if the building gave him permission and if there were no show attached, because the challenge itself appeals to him.
Context in the wider sports economy
- Top MLB or NBA players can have contracts worth hundreds of millions across several years, plus endorsements.
- Niche extreme sports like free solo climbing do not command that kind of TV rights or sponsorship money, even when broadcast by global platforms like Netflix.
So from Honnold’s perspective, he’s doing one of the most dangerous urban climbs ever for a paycheck that, while life‑changing for many people, looks small next to mainstream sports economics.
Mini Breakdown: Likely Income Streams From Taipei 101
This climb is primarily a broadcast spectacle , and Honnold has been clear that the money is tied to the show, not just the act of climbing.
1. Netflix event fee (the main chunk)
- The reported “mid–six‑figure” payment is the central piece — his direct compensation for starring in Netflix’s live event, Skyscraper Live.
- This likely covers his appearance, prep time, and the rights to feature his image and performance in marketing and replay content.
2. Possible appearance/consulting extras
- Big specialty stunts like this often involve additional fees for consulting, route planning or safety‑related input, but those line items aren’t publicly detailed here.
- Any such add‑ons would still very likely be small compared with the main event fee.
3. Knock‑on effects (indirect income)
Even if his direct check from Netflix is in the low‑to‑mid six figures, the stunt can generate extra money:
- Higher demand for future speaking engagements, branded talks, and festival appearances.
- Boost to book sales or documentary viewership (for example, renewed interest in Free Solo and other projects).
- Stronger leverage for future sponsorship or media contracts by further cementing his status as the world’s most famous free soloist.
None of these indirect numbers are disclosed, but historically, a major, high‑visibility event like this can add a long tail of earnings to someone’s career.
Forum & Trending Talk: What Are People Saying?
Because this is exactly the kind of story that lights up forums, there’s been a lot of chatter about “how much will Alex Honnold make climbing Taipei 101” and whether it’s enough.
Common viewpoints appearing online
- “He should be getting millions”
Some fans argue that for the level of risk and spectacle involved – a rope‑free climb of one of the world’s tallest buildings live on a global platform – his pay should be in the multi‑million range.
- “Mid‑six figures is huge money for climbing”
Others point out that very few climbers ever see anything like a mid‑six‑figure payday for a single event, so from the perspective of the climbing world, this is massive.
- “He literally wanted to do it for free”
A recurring quote is that Honnold would have done the climb just for the experience if he’d been given legal permission and access – which reinforces the idea that he’s not primarily motivated by the check.
- Reaction to the TV production
On places like Reddit, people have strong feelings about the broadcast style – commentary during the climb, “can you hear us?” talkback exchanges, and the overall spectacle format.
That discussion loops back into the question: if the show leans heavily into drama and risk, is the payout really adequate for what’s being asked?
Illustration of the sentiment
“He’s doing something no one else on Earth can safely do, live, with no rope – and he’s getting less than a random benchwarmer in a big league sport. That does feel wild.”
That line of thinking drives a lot of the “embarrassingly small” debate around his pay.
Snapshot: Pay vs Risk vs Sports Money
Here’s a compact view of where Honnold’s Taipei 101 fee sits conceptually:
| Aspect | Alex Honnold – Taipei 101 | Typical Major League Star |
|---|---|---|
| Reported pay range | Mid–six figures for the event (likely several hundred thousand USD) | [7][1][3]Multi‑year contracts often totaling tens to hundreds of millions of dollars | [1][3]
| Type of event | One‑off live free solo skyscraper climb on Netflix | [3][1]Seasonal competition within established leagues |
| Risk level | Catastrophic risk from a single mistake; no rope, no safety net | [2][3]High injury risk but with extensive safety protocols, teams, and insurance |
| Honnold’s own view | “Embarrassingly small amount” compared to mainstream sports | [1][3]Contracts described in hundreds of millions are “normal” for stars | [3][1]
| Motivation he cites | Says he’d do the climb even without pay if given permission | [5][1][3]Pay, championships, legacy |
Story Angle: The Daredevil Who’d Do It for Free
From a storytelling perspective, the “how much will Alex Honnold make climbing Taipei 101” question almost misses the core of his public persona.
- He has a long history of tackling extreme objectives primarily for the challenge , not the paycheck.
- In discussing Taipei 101, he repeats that he’s getting paid for the spectacle and broadcast rights, not just the physical act of climbing.
- He openly states that if there were no show, but the building allowed it, he’d still be excited to climb it simply because it would be “amazing.”
So the story that emerges is:
A climber who would have taken on the skyscraper anyway now does it on the world stage, for a mid–six‑figure fee that looks tiny compared with big‑league sports, yet huge by climbing standards.
TL;DR
- Exact contract number: not public.
- Best reporting: mid–six‑figure payment from Netflix (likely several hundred thousand dollars).
- Honnold’s own description: an “embarrassingly small amount” compared with mainstream sports contracts.
- He says he’d climb Taipei 101 even for free if it were just about the building and the challenge.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.