Alex Honnold’s Record-Breaking Taipei 101 Climb On Netflix: His Biggest Payday

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Alex Honnold, the famous free climber, recently achieved a major financial success and a world record by scaling the Taipei 101 tower live on Netflix. The one-time event, called Skyscraper Live, saw the 40-year-old American climb the 508-meter (formerly the world’s tallest) building in just one hour and 31 minutes.

Netflix broadcast Alex Honnold’s ropeless climb with a 10-second delay. This precaution allowed them to immediately cut the feed if anything went wrong. The Discovery Channel used a similar delay in 2014 during their Skyscraper Live broadcast, when Nik Wallenda walked between buildings in Chicago.

Before recently pushing his limits even further, Alex Honnold was already considered by many to be the best free climber ever, largely due to being the first person to climb El Capitan in Yosemite alone with a harness. His accomplishments are so incredible they make even daring movie stunts look easy.

Financially, Alex Honnold’s climb of Taipei 101 is unlike anything he’s done before. Netflix paid him a record amount for his performance on Skyscraper Live – far more than he’s ever earned in a single day.

Alex Honnold Was Reportedly Paid In The “Mid-Six Figures”

The New York Times reported that Netflix paid Alex Honnold a sum in the $500,000 range for documenting his historic climb. This makes it the largest payment ever received by someone for a free climb or walk.

Even before climbing Taipei 101, he was the highest-earning free climber, typically making around $50,000 for each climb. He’s expected to earn significantly more if he attempts even more challenging climbs in the future.

I recently read an interview with Alex Honnold, and he casually mentioned he’s already thought about climbing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai – you know, the tallest building in the world! Apparently, if he actually attempts it, the people in the UAE are likely to throw a lot of money at him – we’re talking millions. They’ve been spending big on sports investments lately, so it wouldn’t be surprising at all.

How Alex Honnold’s Reported Payment Compares To Other Sports

Even though Alex Honnold earned money climbing the Taipei 101, he pointed out to the New York Times that it’s still far less than top athletes make. While he’s likely the highest-paid free climber globally, some mainstream sports stars earn over 100 times his income from Skyscraper Live annually.

In 2023, basketball superstar LeBron James surpassed $1.2 billion in net worth. He earned $38.5 million through his salary and another $80 million from sponsorships and endorsements. James joins Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Tiger Woods as one of only four current athletes to reach the $1 billion mark in career earnings.

While many well-known athletes earn significant amounts, Alex Honnold’s payment from Netflix appears quite small in comparison. However, it’s a positive sign that extreme sports athletes are starting to receive financial recognition that’s closer to what athletes in more traditional sports earn for their accomplishments.

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2026-01-26 16:38