A man who climbed Taipei 101, the world’s 11th-tallest building, has revealed he will earn an “embarrassing amount” of money for conquering the remarkable feat without safety gear.
On Saturday evening, professional rock climber Alex Honnold, 40, ascended the 1,667ft tall skyscraper without a rope, harness or safety equipment in a staggering time of one hour and 31 minutes.
The nerve-jangling climb in Taiwan's capital was streamed live on Netflix, with viewers experiencing every moment as a team of hosts and commentators provided real-time context, analysis, and reaction.
Speaking after completing the ascent, Honnold said: "What a view, it's incredible, what a beautiful day. It was very windy, so I was like, don't fall off the spire. I was trying to balance nicely. But it was, what an incredible position, what a beautiful way to see Taipei."
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Ahead of Honnold's attempt, the 40-year-old was asked whether the stunt would be his biggest-ever payday.
Given the risk involved, you would assume the Sacramento-born climber would have received a hefty sum, but according to the man himself, it was an "embarrassingly small amount" when put into a sporting context.
"It’s less than my agent aspired to,” he told The New York Times, when asked about his paycheck.
“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 mean, just sitting by yourself on the very top of the spire is insane.”
“It’s an embarrassing amount,” he added, after refusing to disclose the exact figure.
When pressed again on his earnings for the Taipei-based challenge, Honnold said: “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."
The reporter involved in the interview asked whether a $10 million sum was being offered, a figure that was quickly shot down. “No!” he replied. “So in that case, yeah - an embarrassingly small amount.”
Two people with knowledge of the deal claim Honnold will be paid in the mid-six figures, as per The New York Times, which could be around the $400,000 to $600,000 mark.
For Honnold, the payout was simply a convenient add-on. In fact, he would have happily climbed the building for free.
"I would do it for free. If there was no TV programme and the building gave me permission," he said. "I would do the thing because I know I can, and it’d be amazing. I mean, just sitting by yourself on the very top of the spire is insane."
He added: "I’m not getting paid to climb the building. I’m getting paid for the spectacle. I’m climbing the building for free."
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Jack Kenmare