Alex Honnold has not given an exact number publicly, but multiple reports say he was paid a “mid-six figures” fee (roughly in the $400,000–$600,000 range, often estimated around $500,000) for his Skyscraper Live climb for Netflix.

How Much Did Alex Get Paid for Skyscraper?

Quick Scoop

For the Netflix special Skyscraper Live , where Alex Honnold free-soloed the Taipei 101 skyscraper, he described his pay as an “embarrassingly small” amount compared to top athletes in major sports leagues.

While he has not confirmed a precise figure, multiple outlets citing sources close to the deal report that his pay is in the mid-six figures.

In everyday terms, that usually means:

  • Somewhere around $400,000–$600,000 for the stunt.
  • Some analysts and reports “call it $500k” as a reasonable midpoint estimate.

He also reportedly lives in Nevada, so the rough take-home after federal tax has been estimated at about $350,000, but that’s a third‑party calculation, not an official number from Honnold or Netflix.

Why He Called It “Embarrassing”

Alex has said the amount feels small when compared with mainstream sports contracts. He pointed out that:

  • MLB, NBA, NFL, and NHL players can have minimum salaries in the hundreds of thousands to over a million dollars per year.
  • Star players can sign contracts worth well over $100 million, numbers he contrasted directly with his one-off mid-six-figure payout.

So even though mid-six figures is a lot of money in normal life, he framed it as modest for the risk of a no-rope, 1,600-foot skyscraper climb.

What Motivated Him Beyond Money

Despite the headlines about the “small” paycheck, Honnold has emphasized that money was not his main reason for doing the climb.

  • He’s said that the challenge and the experience of the climb itself are what drive him most.
  • The Netflix special is also likely to boost his long-term visibility, sponsorship value, and future earning potential, even if this single paycheck wasn’t on the level of big-league sports.

Forum & Trending Angle

Online forums and comment sections have been buzzing about whether “mid-six figures” is fair pay for such an extreme, life-threatening performance. You’ll see a few recurring viewpoints:

  1. “He’s underpaid”
    • People argue that no-rope climbing a 101‑story building for a global streaming event should be worth several million dollars, especially given the death risk.
  1. “It’s still a huge sum”
    • Others point out that $400k–$600k for a few hours of work (not counting training) is a massive amount compared to normal jobs, even if it’s less than sports salaries.
  1. “Visibility and legacy”
    • Some fans say the real payoff is his boosted profile, future projects, and the way this special adds to his already legendary status after Free Solo.

“If this was an NBA or MLB stunt, it would come with a $10M+ price tag. For Alex, it’s mid-six figures and a spot in history.” (common forum-style sentiment summarized)

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TL;DR: Alex Honnold’s pay for Skyscraper Live is reported as a mid-six- figure fee, widely estimated around $500,000, which he’s called “embarrassingly small” compared with major sports contracts.

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