American rock climber Alex Honnold reveals shockingly small Netflix pay after climbing 101-story Taipei 101 building without ropes

Alex Honnold did something that left the whole world holding its breath. The American climber climbed the massive Taipei 101 building in Taiwan without using any ropes. The tower is 101 stories tall and stands 1,667 feet high. The climb happened on Sunday morning and was streamed live by Netflix, with a 10-second delay for safety.

As Alex Honnold reached the top, people watching from the street cheered loudly. Wearing a red short-sleeve shirt, he waved his arms, smiled, and even took selfies. The climb took him around 90 minutes to finish.




Later, Alex Honnold shared a surprising detail. He said the money he got for this risky climb was “embarrassingly small.” According to The New York Times, he was paid a mid six-figure amount. Still, Honnold said money was not the reason he climbed. He made it clear he would have done it even for free if the building owners had allowed it.

Alex Honnold explains why he climbed Taipei 101 and how he did it

Alex Honnold is known for climbing without ropes. He became famous after climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park with no safety gear. This time, he climbed one corner of Taipei 101 using small L-shaped ledges for his feet and hands.

At some points, he had to pull himself around large decorative parts that stick out from the building. The hardest part of the climb was the middle section, called the “bamboo boxes.” These are 64 floors in the center of the tower. The building is divided into eight sections, each with eight floors. After each section, Honnold rested briefly on balconies.

After finishing the climb, Honnold said, “It was like what a view, it’s incredible, what a beautiful day.” He also spoke about the wind at the top and said, “It was very windy, so I was like, don’t fall off the spire. I was trying to balance nicely.”

Climbing in front of a crowd felt strange for him. He said, “When I was leaving the ground, you’re like oh it’s kind of intense, there’s so many people watching.” But his feelings changed as he climbed higher. “They’re all wishing me well. It makes the whole experience feel more festive,” he added.

Some fans questioned his choice since he is married and has two daughters. Still, Honnold stayed calm and confident. He had trained for months and practiced the moves before the climb.

Alex Honnold is not the first person to climb Taipei 101. French climber Alain Robert climbed it in 2004 using ropes. However, Alex Honnold is the first person to climb the building without any ropes at all.

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