Alex Honnold’s Taipei 101 Free Solo Climb Paycheck Revealed

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The number in Alex Honnold’s bank account isn’t climbing quite as high as he’d like.

The professional climber admitted he earned a surprisingly small amount for his daring ascent of Taipei 101—a 1,667-foot skyscraper he scaled without ropes or harnesses. The climb was broadcast live on Netflix in Taiwan on January 25th, and he felt the pay was particularly low when compared to the earnings of other professional athletes.

He told the New York Times that, compared to mainstream sports, the amount is surprisingly low. He pointed out that even lesser-known Major League Baseball players can receive contracts worth $170 million.

According to the New York Times, Alex, 40, made a mid-six-figure salary for scaling one of the world’s tallest buildings. However, he said he would have happily done it even without pay.

He said that if he wasn’t needed for a TV show and his workplace allowed it, he’d definitely pursue this opportunity, because he’s confident he could handle it and believes it would be a fantastic experience.

The athlete, who has two daughters, June, 3, and Alice, 23 months, with his wife Sanni McCandless, recently climbed the 101-story building in a little over 90 minutes. He’s no stranger to daring climbs, having made history in 2017 as the first person to scale El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without ropes – a feat documented in the Oscar-winning film Free Solo.

He’d dreamed of climbing Taipei 101 for more than ten years, and that’s what motivated him.

He explained to Jay Shetty on the January 7th episode of the Jay Shetty Podcast that he originally discovered the location while scouting for a different TV project that didn’t work out around 2013. He’s known about its potential for the past twelve years, adding that the building is perfectly designed for climbing.

When asked flat-out why he would attempt the nail-biting climb at all, it was a no-brainer.

“Why? Because it’s awesome,” he explained. “Because I get to, basically. Because it’ll be so fun.”

He explained that getting permission to climb a building is difficult, and once you do get permission, you’re generally expected to go ahead with the climb.

For a closer look at more salaries of professional athletes, read on…

Cristiano Ronaldo’s earnings are legendary in the world of sports. He consistently ranks as one of the highest-paid athletes globally.

In June 2025, Ronaldo extended his contract with Al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia for two years. Though the specific details weren’t made public, reports indicated he initially earned around $200 million per year when he joined the team in 2022, following his departure from Manchester United.

Lionel Messi started his career with Inter Miami CF with a substantial salary. The Argentine star signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the team, co-owned by David Beckham, in 2023 after playing for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. According to the MLS Players Association, his average guaranteed annual compensation exceeds $20.4 million, with a current base salary of $12 million.

Despite progress in some areas, a significant pay gap remains between male and female athletes. For example, the 2025 list of the top 50 highest-paid athletes published by Forbes included no women. Alex Morgan, who retired from professional soccer in 2024, was ranked 16th on Forbes‘ list of highest-paid female athletes last year. They estimated her earnings at $600,000 from playing and $7 million from endorsements in 2024. While U.S. Soccer has taken a positive step by equalizing World Cup prize money for its men’s and women’s teams, achieving true pay equity in sports still requires considerable effort.

Caitlin Clark, the first pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, signed a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever. According to reports, the contract is worth $338,056, with a rookie salary of $76,535. The relatively low base pay surprised many, especially when compared to NBA salaries. Beyond her team contract, Clark has secured significant endorsement deals, including a $28 million deal with Nike.

Stephen Curry was the highest-paid NBA player for the 2025-2026 season, earning $59.6 million, according to ESPN. The Golden State Warriors then secured his future with the team by signing him to a $62.6 million contract extension through 2027, as his agent told CNBC in August 2024.

And leading the charge in earnings? LeBron James. ESPN reports the Los Angeles Lakers forward earned $52.6 million during the 2025-2026 season.

Coco Gauff is making waves both on and off the tennis court. In 2024, Forbes ranked her as the highest-paid female athlete, with total earnings of $34.4 million – $9.4 million from playing and $25 million from endorsements and other ventures.

Naomi Osaka is also doing very well with her sponsorships and endorsements. According to Forbes, she earned around $12.9 million in 2024, with $12 million of that coming from sources other than prize money from her tennis matches.

Simone Biles had a golden year both in and out of competition. Forbes estimates she earned $11.2 million in 2024, with most of that – around $11 million – coming from endorsements and other business ventures rather than prize money from competitions.

Wondering how much Travis Kelce earns playing for the Kansas City Chiefs? He recently signed a two-year contract worth $34.25 million, as reported by NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.

Patrick Mahomes, his teammate, earned a substantial amount of money when he signed a 10-year, $450 million contract with the Chiefs in 2020, as reported by his agency, Equity Sports.

The Buffalo Bills made sure to sign quarterback Josh Allen to a long-term contract. In March 2025, he signed a six-year deal worth $330 million, with $250 million guaranteed, according to Ian Rapoport.

Russell Wilson has joined the New York Giants. After playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, and Pittsburgh Steelers, the quarterback signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Giants in March 2025. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Tom Pelissero, and Mike Garafolo reported that Wilson could potentially earn up to $21 million with performance-based incentives.

Aaron Rodgers is now the Steelers’ quarterback, having previously played for the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers. He’ll be wearing number 8, but his contract is significantly larger than that number suggests. He signed a one-year deal in June 2025 worth $13.65 million, with $10 million guaranteed. He could potentially earn up to $19.5 million more through performance-based incentives, according to NFL Network insiders Rapoport and Pelissero.

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2026-01-25 17:47