Netflix is live streaming Honnold’s climb to the world’s 11th tallest skyscraper without any ropes or safety equipment.
Taipei, Taiwan — Rock climber Alex Honnold started climbing Taipei 101, the skyscraper in Taiwan. Saturday after the Netflix live event was delayed for 24 hours due to weather.
He was the first rock climber to undertake this challenge without ropes or safety equipment.
The climb was live-streamed by Netflix and began just after 8pm ET.
So how much did he get paid for this risky endeavor?
How much does Alex Honnold get paid to climb a skyscraper on Netflix?
Honnold hasn’t told anyone the exact number, but reports put it in six figures, which he called an “embarrassing amount.”
“In the context of mainstream sport, that’s an embarrassingly small amount of money,” he said. new york times before climbing. “You know, major league players are getting $170 million contracts.”
The number wasn’t in the millions, which was less than what his agent was aiming for, but Honnold said he would have done it for free.
“If there’s no TV show and the building gives me permission to do that thing, I’ll do it because I know I can and it would be great,” he said. “Sitting alone on top of a spire is insane.”
He said he wasn’t getting paid to climb, but rather “getting paid to put on a show.”
How high is Taipei 101?
Honnold is free climbing Taipei 101, the world’s 11th tallest skyscraper, in Taiwan.
Taipei 101’s height is 1,667 feet. When it first opened in late 2004, it was the tallest building in the world.
The building has 101 floors, and the most challenging part is the 64th floor, which makes up the middle section, the “bamboo box” that gives the building its distinctive appearance. Divided into eight sections, each segment features a steep eight-story overhanging climb followed by a balcony where Honnold can rest.
Speaking at his local gym, Taiwanese rock climber Chin Tzu-shan said he grew up always looking up at Taipei 101 and wondering if he could climb it too. Mr. Honnold is a well-known name among rock climbers in Taiwan, and Mr. Chin said that his students, even those who have only been climbing for a year or two, are eager to watch. Chin said he has seen Honnold’s other climbs and trusts him to be prepared for this challenge and not take risks recklessly.
