Alex Honnold is renowned for making extreme climbs without any rope, be it the giant cliffs in Yosemite or the most difficult routes in the world. His most recent feat was climbing Taipei 101, one of the tallest structures in the world, without safety ropes, in a Netflix live special titled Skyscraper Live.The stunt amazed people around the world, but Alex Honnold recalled that he had been paid very little for it, which was embarrassing, particularly in comparison to the earnings of celebrities who had made their names in other sports, such as baseball. He clarified that money was by no means his primary intention. In his case, the excitement and the challenge of climbing were the best thing.Alex Honnold in TaipeiAlex Honnold - Source: GettyOn January 25, 2026, Alex Honnold reached the summit of Taipei 101 in Taiwan without a rope or any safety equipment. It is a 1,667-foot-high building constructed of steel and glass. Although others had scaled it previously, Alex Honnold became the first to climb it all the way by himself, with the help of his strength and ability alone.It was roughly an hour and a half long and was broadcast live on Netflix's Skyscraper Live with a slight delay. The rest of the world saw him climb step by step, holding on to small ledges and crevices of the building. It was a combination of sports and extreme adventure, and it left many viewers both impressed and a bit frightened simultaneously.The “embarrassing” paydaySo, having made such an incredible climb, many people were sure that Alex Honnold would win a lot of money. However, during a conversation with the New York Times, Alex Honnold claimed that his salary at Netflix was embarrassingly low compared to that of the best athletes.“It’s less than my agent aspired to. Actually, 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. Like, someone you haven’t even heard of and that nobody cares about.”He did not tell the actual sum, but according to reports, it was in the mid-six figures, or under a million dollars, to fund the entire event.This shocked many people, considering the level of danger involved in the climb and the large audience it served. Honnold quipped that his salary would be small compared with the salaries of professional baseball players. It was not about the money for him, though.Why did Honnold do it then?Alex Honnold did not do it for the money; he did it because he wanted to. In the interview with the New York Times, he indicated that he would have climbed Taipei 101 even in the absence of cameras, provided he was allowed to.“I mean, I would do it for free. 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… I’m not getting paid to climb the building. I’m getting paid for the spectacle. I’m climbing the building for free.”To him, a challenge and the accomplishment of a dream that he had long held in life was the true payoff. He clarified that Netflix paid him for being part of a global event, not for the climb itself. The most important thing was that he felt joy in making it to the top, the pride of having achieved his purpose, and sharing the moment with the people of the world. Extreme sports are justified in the eyes of Honnold due to his sheer love of the climb.For more such insights, keep following Soap Central.