Alex Honnold Completes Daring Taipei 101 Skyscraper Climb — But Was It Worth the Risk?

World-famous climber Alex Honnold has once again stunned audiences. This time, by scaling Taipei 101, one of the tallest buildings in the world, without ropes or safety equipment.

The 508-meter (1,667-foot), 101-floor skyscraper in Taiwan’s capital became his latest vertical playground during a live broadcast that had viewers around the world glued to their screens.

The climb, which took roughly 95 minutes, was filmed live for Netflix’s Skyscraper Live special. Every move was followed by drones and cameras, making it one of the most daring and public climbing feats ever attempted. Honnold used ledges, window frames, and architectural crevices to make his way up the iconic green-glass tower as a massive crowd gathered below.

This isn’t Honnold’s first time in the spotlight. He became globally known after Free Solo, the Oscar-winning documentary that followed his ropeless climb of El Capitan in Yosemite.

But this time, instead of a natural rock face, Honnold took on a manmade monolith in the middle of a bustling city. And everyone, including fans and skeptics, had something to say about it.

Reactions, Risks, and What He Got Paid

As the world tuned in, reactions came pouring out. Social media was flooded with praise, nerves, and questions. Some users hailed Honnold as a "real-life Spider-Man," while others said watching the climb gave them actual anxiety. One comment that got the highest likes wrote: "Watching Alex climb the top of the Taipei 101 building reminds you that fear is optional."

The tension wasn’t just emotional. The risks were very real. At any moment, a misstep could have ended in tragedy. That raw danger was part of what drew viewers in and what sparked a broader debate about whether events like this should be televised at all.

Then there was the question of money. Honnold later admitted the paycheck wasn’t as huge as some might think. While official numbers haven’t been released, reports suggest Netflix paid him around $500,000 for the climb.

ALEX HONNOLD AFTER COMPLETING HIS FREE SOLO OF TAIPEI 101: "Sick."

The 101 story climb took 1 hour and 35 minutes #SkyscraperLIVEpic.twitter.com/TIzeRqiUcM

— Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026

In a post-climb interview, Honnold said the amount was "embarrassingly small" when compared to what athletes in other high-risk sports earn. Still, he made it clear he wasn’t doing it for the money. “I mean, I would do it for free. If there was no TV program,” he said.

Even MrBeast chimed in on X (formerly Twitter), saying he would’ve paid more to host the stunt himself. That comment kicked off a mini firestorm online, with fans arguing over how we value risk, performance, and the human element in extreme stunts.

Despite the conversation, Honnold seemed completely unfazed. When asked how he was celebrating, he said he just wanted to get dinner with his wife and maybe hit a buffet.

So, Was It Worth the Risk?

Here's the question that lingers after the ropes are packed away and the cameras stop rolling: Was it worth it?

For Alex Honnold, probably yes. Climbing is not just his career, it's his identity. He’s spent decades pushing boundaries, redefining what’s possible in his sport, and confronting fear in ways most people never have to. He sees risk not as something to avoid, but something to manage. And by all accounts, he managed it well on Taipei 101.

But zooming out, it’s a trickier question. While Honnold has an unmatched skill set, his live performance for Netflix wasn’t just about him. It was about what kind of content we consume, and how far we’re willing to go to be entertained.

The event had safety teams, approvals, and planning, but the core of it was still one man risking his life for millions to watch.

It’s easy to argue that no one was forced to tune in, and Honnold made the climb on his own terms. Still, critics worry that this could open the door for a wave of increasingly dangerous stunts marketed as live entertainment. Will other athletes be pressured to outdo this? Will future climbs be staged with fewer safeguards or done by people with less experience?

There’s also the mental toll to consider. Watching someone dangle by their fingers hundreds of feet in the air might thrill some, but it can deeply unsettle others. Not every moment of risk needs to be a show.

And yet, despite all the doubts, there’s no denying the climb was historic. Honnold not only did something that had never been done before, he did it under more pressure, more attention, and more scrutiny than ever.

The line between bravery and recklessness is razor-thin, and Alex Honnold walks it like no one else. Whether the climb was worth the risk depends on who you ask, but it definitely got the world talking.

What do you think; was the 508-meter climb worth it?