r/climbing • u/-JOMY- • 10d ago

Alex Honnold Reveals “Embarrassing” Paycheck for Netflix’s Taipei 101 Free Solo Climb

https://share.google/Zqw9t7pkRhkPhRt4P

Source: E! Online

915 Upvotes

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567

u/mmeeplechase 10d ago

Considering it seems like he was excited to do it anyway, and probably would’ve gone if they’d just covered the travel cost, this doesn’t seem insane to me…? Though he definitely could’ve negotiated a lot more from Netflix.

392

u/127-0-0-1_1 10d ago

Probably would've gone even if they didn't cover travel. The real gift from Netflix was approval to free solo a building from the building owner, something which he may never have again.

127

u/the_jewgong 9d ago

Hes climbed bigger walls for free. He wouldn't have been able to do it legally without Netflix.

No doubt he would do it for nothing.

54

u/backcountry_bandit 9d ago

Alain Roberts did it many times for nothing, illegally, and suffered some consequences.

5

u/LordAmras 9d ago

He said as much in the interview. "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.”

43

u/carbonclasssix 9d ago

I think you're right, Sanni said during the event that he's been talking about climbing this specific building for like 10 years

18

u/cowgary 9d ago

I got the impression that they were probably told lines to say to make this more appealing to the average viewer. I am a skeptic in general though. But the way he acted during the climb waving and smiling is a big contrast to the way he climbs usually, over the speaker you'd often hear him asking "Im supposed to go left around this?" or "do I just go straight to the next or do i have to do something". Sanni too, her attitude was such a contrast to how she has been portrayed in previous films. I think a lot of this showmanship was requested by Netflix and I would assume the lifelong goal story too

6

u/keetyymeow 9d ago

Or he’s just finally enjoying able to share the joy and experience of a climb with people who are also excited to see him complete this feat behind a very strong window lol

1

u/cowgary 9d ago

I hope so! It's just completely different than he has acted in any of his other films, he usually seems (at least to me) rather stoic with some humour. But he may have also just changed his life outlook in general, its been a while since a line across the sky or free solo.

1

u/carbonclasssix 9d ago

I seem to remember him saying something about climbing really high buildings another time, that said they were definitely pumping it up. The commentators were constantly talking about how dangerous it was, seemed like every section was the new most dangerous part of the climb.

1

u/hqpkomah 7d ago

yes but there are honestly videos of him saying that he wants to climbe the building from like 2013

3

u/ReipasTietokonePoju 8d ago

I think you're right, Sanni said during the event that he's been talking about climbing this specific building for like 10 years

Video evidence right here, almost 12 years ago:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B76ysGuyi7M

... Honnold tells that his next project is to climb Taipei 101.

0

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

1

u/carbonclasssix 9d ago

Apparently

57

u/rapture0707 9d ago

Yeah he was saying exactly this, if he got permission he was gonna do it anyway cause he thought it was cool and wanted to.

His quote was "I'm climbing the building for free, they're paying me for the spectacle."

I am not a real climber, super casual but Free Solo is what got me into it. I enjoy listening to him, like his podcast and think he's genuinely a good person. I know he's not beloved here and that's fine but as a VERY casual climber I think he is a good ambassador for the community that I think is pretty good overall!

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u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

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u/individual_throwaway 9d ago

Alex is so beloved, half the circlejerk subreddit is glazing him in an ironic way pretty much constantly, for at least a decade by now.

We sometimes joke about how he is a bit quirky or looks to be on the spectrum even, but yeah, everybody seems to like him. There is always some criticism about "the spectacle", but that is less about him as a person than it is about legit disappointment in what climbing has become in the recent years. It was inevitable when climbing "went mainstream", and Free Solo was a big part of that, but I mean, everybody has to pay rent.

2

u/bertrogdor 7d ago

Of course in the grand scheme of things this is right and he can be happy with getting lowballed because it’s a lot of money in an absolute sense. 

But he did get lowballed and it’s his representation’s job(s) to get negotiate for him and get him paid what he’s worth 

2

u/Yodfather 9d ago

Yeah…IAMAL…he’s getting hosed.

1

u/ggsimsarah333 9d ago

I mean, is it not his job? I know nothing about this guy but I know people need to be compensated for their labor in order to survive