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In an extraordinary feat of daring, Alex Honnold is set to undertake one of the most perilous climbs of his career tonight—or technically, in the early hours of the morning for those in Taipei. Honnold plans to scale the Taipei 101 skyscraper, which soars to a staggering height of 1,667 feet, without the aid of any safety gear. This means no rope, no harness, and no safety net. The stakes are as high as they come: a single slip could be fatal.
The world will be able to witness this breathtaking event live at 8 PM ET on Netflix, under the banner of “Skyscraper Live.” However, the broadcast will feature a 10-second delay. This isn’t just a random choice; it’s a calculated decision. Should the unthinkable happen and Honnold falls, it would take approximately 10 seconds for him to reach the ground—a grim math problem that Netflix took into account.
Given the immense risk and the global attention this climb has garnered, one might imagine Honnold’s compensation from Netflix must be substantial. Consider this: if you were Alex Honnold, a renowned climber with two young children, what price would you put on such a life-threatening challenge? Especially considering that this isn’t a small-scale production; it’s a major event aired by Netflix, not a public television station.
For some perspective, recall the recent bout between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua. Reports suggest each earned a staggering $92 million for their Netflix-broadcasted fight. While sponsorships contributed to their earnings, a significant portion likely came directly from Netflix.
Additionally, consider the substantial sums Netflix has paid various movie stars for films that, if we’re honest, many people haven’t even heard of, let alone watched.
- For the Netflix movie “Red Notice,” The Rock was paid $23.5 million while his co-stars, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, each made $20 million. This movie currently sports a 37% Rotten Tomatoes score.
- Will Smith was paid $20 million for a Netflix movie called “Bright,” which currently enjoys a 26% Rotten Tomatoes score. He was set to make $35 million for a sequel, but after his Chris Rock Oscars slap incident, Netflix pulled out.
- Ryan Reynolds made $27 million to star in a movie called “6 Underground,” which currently has a 36% Rotten Tomatoes score.
- Adam Sandler essentially makes $60 million every time he does a movie for Netflix. And, in my opinion, not one is even remotely watchable.
Ask yourself: have you watched any of these Netflix films? If you have, did you find them entertaining? Personally, I gave “Happy Gilmore 2” a shot, but it failed to impress.
If Netflix is willing to set $20 million on fire for a forgettable piece of crap movie, surely they would be willing to back up a Brinks truck for Alex Honnold to risk his life free climbing Taipei 101, right?
An Embarrassing Amount
(Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)
In a recent New York Times interview, Alex was asked directly how much he was getting paid. Alex describes the payday as an “embarrassingly small amount.” The interviewer follows up with:
“Ten?“
To which Alex replies, “Million? No! So in that case, yeah, an embarrassingly small amount.“
Someone with direct knowledge of the arrangement later told the NY Times that Alex will be paid in the mid-six figures. As in, a couple hundred grand. Call it $500k. That’s pre-tax. Alex lives in Nevada, so no state tax, but after Uncle Sam, he’ll take home around $350k.
In a follow-up, Alex clarified the arrangement even more. Netflix is not paying Honnold to climb Taipei 101. They are paying him for the production, the broadcast rights, the spectacle, and the global audience that comes with watching a human being attempt something that has never been done before, knowing that one small mistake would be fatal. Honnold himself has been explicit about this distinction. If the building had simply given him permission to climb without cameras, contracts, or publicity, he says he would have done it anyway.
“I’m climbing the building for free,” he explained. “I’m getting paid for the spectacle.“
If all goes well and there’s another climb in the future, Alex, please, please, please ask for more money.
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