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Alex Honnold Free-Solos Taipei 101 in 91 Minutes on Netflix Live Special

Post-climb coverage spotlights his “embarrassing” fee alongside the production’s risk controls, reigniting questions about airing extreme danger live.

Overview

  • Honnold reached the 508-meter spire of Taipei 101 without ropes, completing the ascent in about 1 hour 31 minutes during Netflix’s Skyscraper Live broadcast.
  • The livestream ran on a 10-second delay and followed a 24-hour weather postponement after rain slickened the building.
  • Permission was granted by Taipei 101’s owner and the city, and President Lai Ching-te publicly thanked Honnold for bringing international attention to Taiwan.
  • Honnold declined to name his compensation, calling it an “embarrassing” amount, while two people told The New York Times he was paid in the mid‑six figures.
  • Producers cited safeguards including a “two‑tick” go system and work with a risk‑management firm, as online debate questioned the broadcast’s ethics and the climb’s purity given the building’s ledges.