Alex Honnold bites the Netflix hand
The man who laughs in the face of death is now laughing at his bank account, and Netflix might not find the joke very funny. Alex Honnold just successfully scaled the massive Taipei for the global special Skyscraper Live, but the real fireworks started after he touched solid ground. The year old climber is publicly trashing his payout, calling the amount embarrassing in a shocking new interview that has industry insiders buzzing about his lack of gratitude.
Honnold, who famously climbed without ropes in the Oscar-winning Free Solo, was paid a sum reported to be in the mid-six figures for the stunt. While most people would consider half a million dollars for a days work a lottery win, Honnold is comparing himself to Major League Baseball stars. He complained that relative nobodies in the MLB are walking away with million dollar contracts while he is out here risking literal death for what he considers pocket change.
Is this a case of extreme ego or is Honnold just being brutally honest? Either way, the PR optics are a disaster. Netflix banked heavily on this live event, even implementing a ten-second delay just in case the world had to witness a horrific tragedy in real time. For Honnold to turn around and call the paycheck embarrassing feels like a slap in the face to the streamers who made him a household name.
Imagine complaining about six figures for a climb you claim you would do for free. The ego on this guy is higher than the building he just climbed.
The ten second delay of doom
The tension during the Saturday, January broadcast was thick enough to cut with a knife. Netflix was so terrified of a live-streamed fatality that they refused to broadcast the actual feed without a buffer. The safety of a harness was absent for Honnold, but the safety of a censor button was very much present for the network executives. Sources close to the production say the atmosphere in the control room was pure chaos as Honnold neared the spire.
Honnold claims he would have done the climb for free if the building had given him permission, which makes his bitching about the money even more suspicious. If the climb is truly about the childlike joy and the insanity of sitting on a spire alone, why bring up the salaries of professional ballplayers? It sounds like someone is looking for a massive raise before his next brush with the reaper.
Paparazzi caught up with Honnold in Taipei, and he seemed remarkably unfazed by the life-or-death stakes. But while he acts like it is just another day at the office, the insurance nightmare behind the scenes was reportedly legendary. No sane company wants to insure a man who refuses to use a rope on a -story building, especially one with a wife and two young daughters waiting at home.
Family man or thrill seeker
The biggest question on everyones mind is how Sanni McCandless feels about her husband dancing on the edge of a skyscraper while their daughters, June and Alice, are still in diapers. Honnold claims the calculus has not changed since becoming a father, but fans are calling foul. They argue that a man with more to live for should not be treating a ,-foot drop like a playground slide.
Honnold admits he is doing his very best to not die, but his aggressive pursuit of danger suggests a man who is addicted to the adrenaline. Critics are pointing out that his preparation and training are great, but wind gusts and structural surprises do not care about how much chalk you have on your hands. Is he being selfish or inspirational? The line is getting thinner with every floor he climbs.
The “childlike joy” defense is wearing thin for some observers who see a reckless disregard for his family. If he truly has more to live for, why is he choosing the most dangerous possible way to provide for them? And if the six-figure check is so embarrassing, maybe it is time to find a career that does not involve orphaning his children for entertainment.
He has two babies at home and he is complaining about the money while hanging off a spire? Someone needs to check his priorities.
Behind the scenes chaos in Taipei
The climb was originally set for Friday, January , but the weather gods had other plans. The delay caused a massive headache for Netflix, which had a global audience waiting for the spectacle. Sources say the mounting costs of the delay were astronomical, which might be why the network is not thrilled about Honnold trashing his salary. Every hour the crew spent waiting for the clouds to clear was money out of the budget.
When he finally did make the move on Saturday, the sheer audacity of the climb left many in Taipei speechless. But as soon as the cameras stopped rolling, the talk turned from his bravery to his diva-like comments. Comparing himself to the MLB is a bold move for someone in a niche sport that most people only watch when they think someone might fall.
The spectacle around the event was exactly what Honnold claims he does not need, yet he is the one cashing the checks and doing the interviews with the New York Times. You cannot have it both ways. You cannot be the pure-hearted mountain man who only cares about the rock while simultaneously complaining that you are not being paid like a superstar athlete.
The insurance nightmare and legal loopholes
How does a stunt like this even get cleared? Legal experts are scratching their heads over the liability waivers Honnold must have signed. If he had slipped, the legal fallout for Netflix and the owners of Taipei would have been a nuclear disaster. Rumor has it the contracts were several hundred pages long, designed to protect the streamer from any culpability in his potential demise.
Honnold jokes about insurance and the questions adults ask, but those questions exist for a reason. Death-defying stunts are all fun and games until the ten-second delay is not long enough to cut away from a tragedy. The fact that he views these concerns as something that is hammered out of you by adulthood shows a frightening lack of reality.
Insiders whisper that Netflix is unlikely to work with Honnold on a live project again after his embarrassing amount comments. Why pay mid-six figures to a man who is going to go to the most prestigious newspaper in the country and trash the deal? The bridge is burned, and it was Honnold who lit the match.
The cliffhanger on the spire
With the Taipei climb in the books, the world is wondering what is next for the man who has run out of things to climb. He has done the big rocks, he has done the skyscrapers, and he has successfully alienated his biggest corporate backer. Will Honnold find a way to get that MLB-level contract he thinks he deserves, or has he finally hit his ceiling?
The backlash from the climbing community is also starting to grow, with some purists feeling that Honnold has turned a spiritual pursuit into a cheap, money-grubbing circus. As he sits at home with his family, one has to wonder if the adrenaline high is worth the public relations low. The next time Honnold looks for a mountain to climb, he might find that the biggest obstacle is his own reputation. Will any network touch him after this?
Would you like me to look into the specific details of Alex Honnolds contract with Netflix to see if there were performance bonuses for a successful climb?
