Alex Honnold Says Taipei 101 Climb Pay Was ‘Embarrassing’

Alex Honnold says the money he made free solo climbing one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world was shockingly low.

The legendary rock climber revealed his payday for scaling Taipei 101 — a 1,667 foot, 101-story tower — was “embarrassingly small,” especially when compared to the massive contracts earned by mainstream pro athletes. The death defying climb, which aired live on Netflix, earned Honnold a “mid six figures” payout, according to the New York Times.

Despite the modest check, Honnold says the money wasn’t the motivation. In fact, he admitted he would’ve taken on the dangerous climb even without a paycheck if he had permission from the building.

“If there was no TV program and the building gave me permission to go do the thing,” Honnold told the paper, “I would do the thing because I know I can, and it’d be amazing.”