By Alison Rosen | January 25, 2026
Netflix is paying Alex Honnold mid-six figures to free solo Taipei 101 on live television, according to sources with direct knowledge of the arrangement. The exact amount remains undisclosed, but Honnold himself characterized the payday as “an embarrassingly small amount” when interviewed by the New York Times before his historic climb.
The Payment Details
According to the New York Times, two sources with direct knowledge of the arrangement stated that Honnold will earn in the mid-six figures. This typically translates to somewhere between $200,000 and $500,000 before taxes.
Since Honnold lives in Nevada, which has no state income tax, his take-home pay after federal taxes comes to approximately $350,000. For context, this represents the earnings from scaling a 1,667-foot skyscraper with no ropes, no harness, and no safety equipment whatsoever, where a single mistake means instant death.
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Honnold’s Own Assessment
When the New York Times directly asked Honnold how much Netflix is paying him, he refused to disclose the exact figure but admitted it was “an embarrassingly small amount.”
When pressed further and the interviewer suggested $10 million, Honnold quickly corrected the assumption. “No! So in that case, yeah, an embarrassingly small amount,” he responded.
He then provided context by comparing his earnings to mainstream sports: “Actually, if you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it’s 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 also revealed that the amount was “less than my agent aspired to,” suggesting his representatives attempted to negotiate a higher figure.
What Netflix Is Actually Paying For
In his interview with the New York Times, Honnold made an important clarification about what Netflix’s payment actually covers. “I’m not getting paid to climb the building. I’m getting paid for the spectacle,” he stated.
He elaborated further: “Netflix producers aren’t paying me to climb Taipei 101. They’re paying for the production, the broadcast rights, the global audience, and the attention. I’m climbing the building for free.”
This distinction is crucial. Netflix is compensating Honnold for participating in their live television event, not for the actual feat of climbing. The streaming service is paying for the broadcast production, the spectacle, the millions of viewers worldwide, and the massive media attention that comes with such a dangerous stunt.
Would He Do It for Free?
Despite Netflix paying him mid-six figures, Honnold revealed he would happily complete the climb for no money at all.
“I mean, I would do it for free,” he told the New York Times. “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 continued: “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.”
This reflects Honnold’s core motivation, which centers on the challenge and experience itself rather than financial compensation.
Comparison to Other Celebrity Paydays
To understand why Honnold considers his Netflix payday small, consider what other entertainment figures earn from the company. Netflix paid actors in Hollywood productions between $20 and $23 million for single film projects. The streamer also paid Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua $92 million each for a boxing match broadcast.
By comparison, a mid-six-figure payment for climbing one of the world’s tallest buildings live on television does appear modest, even for a death-defying feat.
Why Honnold Chose the Project
Despite the relatively modest payday, Honnold has been dreaming of climbing Taipei 101 for over a decade. “I actually scouted it for a different TV thing that fell apart in 2013,” he revealed on the Jay Shetty Podcast.
“So, for the last 12 years I’ve known that it was possible. The building is honestly uniquely suited for climbing,” he explained.
When asked why he would attempt such a dangerous climb, his answer was simple: “Why? Because it’s awesome. Because I get to, basically. Because it’ll be so fun.”
He also noted that getting permission to climb a building is exceedingly rare. “It’s really hard to get permission to climb a building and if you get permission, you kind of have to say ‘yes.'”
The Netflix “Skyscraper Live” Event
The climb was broadcast live on Netflix as part of the “Skyscraper Live” event. Netflix built a 10-second delay into the broadcast. According to reports, someone did the mathematical calculations, and 10 seconds is approximately how long it would take Honnold to fall from the top of Taipei 101 to the ground if he fell.
The event garnered millions of viewers from South America to Asia, making it one of the most-watched climbing events in history.
The Successful Climb
Despite being paid only mid-six figures, Honnold successfully free soloed Taipei 101 on January 24-25, 2026, completing the 1,667-foot climb in just over 1 hour and 35 minutes. He set a world record as the first person to free solo a building of this height.
The feat capped off a remarkable career for the 40-year-old climber who has been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in free solo climbing for decades.
What’s Next
With Taipei 101 conquered and the Netflix payday secured, the climbing world awaits Honnold’s next challenge. Given his willingness to do dangerous climbs primarily for the experience rather than the money, expect more record-breaking attempts from the legendary climber in the years ahead.
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