Alex Honnold, a renowned American rock climber who recently scaled Taipei 101, a 508 meter high-rise in Taiwan, for a Netflix live stream, has revealed that he was not paid much for the adventure.
While the coverage was widely watched, Honnold said in an interview that he did not even make a million dollars for the gig, inviting widespread online backlash against Netflix.
Highlights
- Alex Honnold has revealed that he earned under $1 million for Netflix’s Skyscraper Live, which documented his ascent of a 508 meter-tall building.
- His disclosure led netizens to slam the streaming giant, calling their pay for Honnold "embarrassing.”
- Honnold’s next adventure, meanwhile, is set to debut next month, featuring him exploring something that is outside his comfort zone.
From voicing that Honnold should have been better compensated due to the risks involved to demanding royalty provisions for him, the internet batted on Honnold’s behalf, with full force.
“I had anxiety watching this. He should get paid more money for all the views!” a netizen commented.
Alex Honnold called his pay for the Taipei 101 climb ‘embarrassing’
Image credits: Netflix/Tudum
Netflix’s broadcast of Honnold’s climb of the 101-story building was titled Skyscraper Live and aired last Saturday night (January 24) in the United States, which was Sunday morning in Taipei.
Honnold took just over one hour and thirty minutes to complete the ascent.
The climber had discussed his pay for the summit, made without the aid of ropes or safety nets, in an interview with The New York Times on January 23.
He revealed that he was receiving “an embarrassingly small amount” for his adventure, especially when compared to what some mainstream sports personalities receive.
Image credits: Netflix Sports
“You know, Major League Baseball players get like $170 million contracts. Like someone you have not even heard of and that nobody cares about,” he said.
While he did not share his exact pay, The New York Times, citing sources close to him, published that he earned “mid six figures” for climbing one of the tallest buildings in the world.
Image credits: Netflix Sports
That being noted, the 40-year-old shared that he would have been happy to go through the life-risking feat for no remuneration at all.
“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 would be amazing,” he told the paper.
Internet users expressed disappointment with Netflix over Honnold’s low pay
Image credits: Netflix Sports
“One million was the strict minimum. Netflix made millions out of this,” wrote one user, while a second added, “He deserves 10 million dollars.”
“He should get paid more. Why are other professionals getting paid more for just sweating and hitting a ball?” questioned a third.
Image credits: Netflix Sports
A fourth, meanwhile, dragged the Duke and Duchess of Sussex into the conversation while bashing Netflix, writing, “Alex’s d**th-defying stunt is definitely worth much more. But Netflix’s cupboard was bare after overpaying Harry and Meghan.”
“The man is just one mistake away from d**ng and only got that much for risking his life,” added another.
MrBeast, a billionaire YouTuber, was also among Netflix’s critics
Image credits: Netflix Sports
Jimmy Donaldson, who has made a name for himself as the popular MrBeast on the internet, reacted to South Korean film director Joseph Kahn’s post on X, who assumed Honnold was paid $500K by Netflix.
“I would have paid him more to do it on my channel,” the YouTuber, who has 464 million subscribers, said.
Fans quickly responded to MrBeast’s comment, urging him to sponsor Honnold’s next climb.
“Well, Jimmy, that is the 11th-tallest building in the world. There are 10 others he can still climb. Just saying,” one commented.
“Let us go. Get him another skyscraper,” added another.
Image credits: alexhonnold/Instagram
Getting permission to climb a building is a major hurdle, as any misfortune could get the people behind the structure into trouble. MrBeast, however, has proven that he can gain even the most impossible of approvals for his video challenges.
For instance, the internet personality secured 100 hours at the Pyramids of Giza in 2025 after negotiating with the Egyptian government.
With or without a MrBeast collaboration, Honnold already has his next adventure lined up
Image credits: Netflix Sports
The climber will appear in a five-part travel series set in his home state of Nevada.
Get a Little Out There with Alex Honnold, co-produced by Outside TV and Travel Nevada, is set to debut on February 26, 2026.
“Free-spirited rock climber Alex Honnold road-trips through Nevada in his van, discovering hidden gems, outdoor thrills, and local culture while showing viewers the transformative power of stepping outside their comfort zones,” a description for Honnold’s show reads.
“Involvement in this series is awesome for me,” the climber said in a statement.
“My love for adventure matches the spirit of Nevada. Red Rock has been a huge part of my life, but Nevada still surprises me with how much there is to see and do,” he added.
"The next time though - he'll make more," a netizen commented about Honnold's future pay
