Alex Honnold's climb of Taiwan's Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world at 1,667 feet, grabbed all the attention. Here's how much he was paid, and how his wife reacted!
One of the well-known American rock climbers, Alex Honnold, is back in the headlines as he scales one of the tallest buildings in the world. The event, titled Skyscraper Live by Netflix, was originally set to air on January 23, 2026, but due to bad weather, it's now taking place on January 24 at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT.
Alex Honnold has reached the 101st floor, and he is now attempting to climb the spire of the building, which is around 70 meters. He's not only climbing one of the tallest buildings in the world, but he is doing it without any safety gear or ropes, and he's doing it live on Netflix. Well, amid this, let's have a look at how much he was paid for this dangerous climb, where one slip can turn fatal.
Alex Honnold, one of the well-known American rock-climbers, called the amount for this dangerous climb 'embarrassing'. Yes! Talking to The New York Times, before the climb, Alex Honnold revealed that if this had been put in the context of mainstream sports, then it's a very small amount, embarrassingly. He mentioned that another baseball league has a payment of USD 170 million.
While the exact amount for Alex Honnold hasn't been disclosed, it's reported that it could be either in six figures or not. On the other hand, Alex said that he would have done it for free if he would have the permission from the building, and it would make him feel amazing to sit in the top spire. Reports claimed that his agent couldn't bag the budget they actually targeted. Alex further revealed that he was not being paid for the climb but for the spectacle. People have also been questioning what Alex's net worth is, and to answer that, there's no official information, but as per Celebrity Net Worth, it's around USD 2 million. To quote Alex:
"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. 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. Just sitting by yourself on the very top of the spire is insane. I am getting paid for the spectacle."
Alex Honnold's fans have been glued to the screens for every minute update. As per CNN's live update, at 8.28 a.m IST, he finally reached the top of Taipei 101 safely, becoming the first person to climb a 1,667-foot building without ropes. There's no denying the fact that it was one of the most dangerous climbs ever, which was also being livestreamed.
Speaking to Netflix, Alex Honnold's wife, Sanni McCandless, said that she feels her husband is psyched. She also added that it's just adorable how her husband is doing what he loves. She also revealed how she felt while adding that she's just trying to stay calm, and she's breezy. Sanni could be quoted as saying:
"I think he’s probably really psyched. It’s beautiful conditions, there’s great energy here and he’s doing what he loves. I’m just trying to stay calm and be in the moment. I’m breezy."
Taipei 101 is a famous skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. The building has 101 floors and stands 1,667 feet tall. It is one of the tallest buildings in the world, opened in 2004, holding the record until 2009, when Burj Khalifa took the title. The building is designed as the Chinese number eight, which is considered to be a lucky number. The building looks like a bamboo stalk with eight stacked sections. With Alex Honnold climbing the top of Taipei 101, he surely set a new record.
Congratulations, Alex Honnold!
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