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Alex Honnold's 'Embarrassing' Compensation for Historic Taipei 101 Ascent
World-renowned free solo climber Alex Honnold has revealed he's receiving what he describes as an "embarrassing amount" of money for his upcoming live ascent of Taipei 101, the eleventh tallest skyscraper globally. The daring climb will be broadcast tonight on Netflix's Skyscraper Live special, marking a significant moment in both extreme sports and entertainment broadcasting.
The Spectacle Versus The Climb
In a candid interview with the New York Times, the 40-year-old climbing legend explained the nuanced distinction between being paid for the climb itself versus the television spectacle surrounding it. "I would do it for free," Honnold stated emphatically. "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."
He elaborated further on this philosophical approach to compensation: "I'm not getting paid to climb the building. I'm getting paid for the spectacle. I'm climbing the building for free." This perspective highlights Honnold's genuine passion for climbing, suggesting his primary motivation remains the personal challenge rather than financial gain.
Putting the Pay in Perspective
When pressed about specific figures, Honnold remained coy but provided revealing context about how his compensation compares to mainstream sports. "Actually, if you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it's an embarrassingly small amount," he admitted. "You know, Major League Baseball players get like $170 million contracts. Like, someone you haven't even heard of and that nobody cares about."
Though Honnold declined to confirm exact numbers, the New York Times reported that two sources with direct knowledge of the arrangement indicated the climber will receive payment in the mid-six figures. When an interviewer suggested $10 million as a possible figure, Honnold responded with a definitive "No!" confirming his earlier characterization of the amount as embarrassingly small by entertainment industry standards.
The Technical Challenge of Taipei 101
Tonight's broadcast will feature Honnold attempting to scale the 1,667-foot, 101-story structure located in Taiwan's capital without any safety gear or ropes. This represents his first attempt at a "big handmade structure" rather than a natural rock formation, introducing new variables and challenges to his free solo climbing expertise.
Interestingly, Honnold recently told CNN that Taipei 101 presents unique safety considerations despite the obvious dangers. "If something happens, I would die, though actually, on this particular building, that's not even totally true because there are balconies every few floors," he explained. "The geometry of the building, the shape of the building is such that you actually could fall in tons of places and not actually die, which makes it in some ways safer than a lot of rock-climbing objectives."
From El Capitan to Skyscrapers
Honnold brings three decades of climbing experience to this unprecedented challenge. He achieved global recognition in 2017 when he became the first person ever to free solo a complete route on Yosemite National Park's El Capitan, a historic feat documented in the Oscar-winning 2018 film Free Solo.
That groundbreaking accomplishment established Honnold as perhaps the world's greatest living rock climber, setting the stage for tonight's ambitious skyscraper attempt. The transition from natural rock formations to engineered structures represents a significant evolution in his climbing career and pushes the boundaries of what's possible in free solo climbing.
Broadcast Details and Historical Context
Skyscraper Live begins streaming tonight on Netflix at 8pm Eastern Time, offering viewers unprecedented access to this extreme sporting event. The broadcast marks a convergence of several trends: the growing popularity of adventure sports, the expansion of live streaming entertainment, and increasing public fascination with human achievement against seemingly impossible odds.
As audiences prepare to witness this historic climb, Honnold's comments about compensation reveal an athlete whose motivations transcend financial reward, focusing instead on personal accomplishment and the pure experience of climbing. His willingness to undertake such a dangerous challenge for what he considers modest pay underscores his authentic dedication to pushing the limits of human capability in vertical environments.
