Meet Alex Honnald. Alex is one of the most famous “climbers” in the world and he just took on one of his biggest challenges of his career: Free Solo Climbing the Taipei 101 tower, which stands at 1,667. Here are some quick stats on the tower: Taipei 101 Taipei 101 is one of the most iconic skyscrapers in the world, located in Taipei, Taiwan. It stands at a height of 508 meters (1,667 feet) to its architectural top (including the spire). Key Statistics and Facts Architectural height: 508.2 m (1,667 ft) to the tip of the spire Tip height: Approximately 509.2 m (1,671 ft) in some measurements Roof height: 449.2 m (1,474 ft) Highest occupied floor: 438 m (1,437 ft) Number of floors: 101 above ground + 5 basement levels Floor area: 412,500 m² (about 4,440,100 sq ft) Completion/Open: Officially opened on December 31, 2004 (tower completed in 2004) Architect: C.Y. Lee & Partners Location: Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan Engineering and Design It was the world’s tallest building from 2004 to 2010 (until surpassed by the Burj Khalifa) and remains the tallest in Taiwan. It’s designed to withstand strong typhoons (winds up to 216 km/h) and major earthquakes, featuring advanced engineering like outrigger trusses and a massive tuned mass damper. One of its most famous features is the 660-metric-ton tuned mass damper (the largest spherical wind damper in the world at the time), a giant golden sphere suspended between floors 88 and 92 to counteract sway from wind or seismic activity—it reduces building movement by up to 40%. Other Highlights Ultra-fast elevators: Once the world’s fastest, reaching 60.6 km/h or 37.7 mph. Observatory: An indoor/outdoor observatory on the 89th floor. Sustainability: Holds LEED Platinum certification for sustainability. It’s a major tourist spot, shopping mall, and symbol of modern Taiwan. Most of us would get nervous just looking out the windows near the top of that monster, but Alex decided to climb it.  From the outside! He also did it solo with no one else alongside to assist, and he did it without any wires, harnesses or any other safety gear of any kind. Absolutely insane! Oh, and he did it LIVE on Netflix. It looked like this: Truly one of the most astonishing things anyone has ever done on camera pic.twitter.com/Sv7sLhKlcm — Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) January 25, 2026 Honestly, my hands are getting sweaty as I type this article just looking at the footage. I have no idea how he did this without losing his grip. Or WHY he did this! Here’s a sped-up time-lapse of part of the climb: The greatest athletic achievement in history. —Time-lapse video of Alex Honnold climbing a skyscraper with no ropes, no safety net. Wind all around him. His wife watching and fans watching. Plus millions during #SkyscraperLIVE LETS GO pic.twitter.com/4sVQvrFDjU — Dr. Malachi – (Dr. Run) (@malachiobrien) January 25, 2026 No ropes. No safety gear of any kind: I dare you to watch this. Alex Honnold at a pivotal moment during #SkyscraperLIVE Again he had no ropes —What are you afraid of? What limiting belief holds you back? pic.twitter.com/4osyyLKHQH — Dr. Malachi – (Dr. Run) (@malachiobrien) January 25, 2026 If you’ve ever been on the roof of even a small building you know the higher you go, the more windy it gets. So on top of everything else, you’re dealing with nasty wind gusts the higher you go. Check this out: This angle of Alex Honnold casually waving to fans and giving a thumbs up from outside the 89th floor while free soloing Taipei 101 is incredible. One of the greatest athletes we’ve ever seen #SkyscraperLIVE Adam Skolnick pic.twitter.com/wLk65obize — Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) January 25, 2026 When he got near the top, he decided to have some fun and go “no hands” for a moment: No hands is crazy. @AlexHonnold #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/twmCSX5nDS — Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026 Here was the final moment: ALEX HONNOLD AFTER COMPLETING HIS FREE SOLO OF TAIPEI 101: “Sick.” The 101 story climb took 1 hour and 35 minutes #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/TIzeRqiUcM — Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026 TMZ reveals the payday from Netflix was “shockingly low”: 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. But I suppose when you’ve already done this, a nice building with ledges is probably a walk in the park: Watching this, you realize Taipei 101 was probably just a piece of cake for him #SkyscraperLive #AlexHonnold pic.twitter.com/c2pU4f2vuu — Kow (@unkown_kow) January 25, 2026 Wild! One more as I wrap this up….check out the people watching him from the inside — I could hardly bare to look: This moment is INSANE. Alex Honnold greets fans watching through the windows of Taipei 101. #SkyscraperLIVE pic.twitter.com/KMo9BJvPai — Netflix (@netflix) January 25, 2026