NEW YORK, Jan 27: Professional rock climber Alex Honnold revealed he earned an “embarrassingly small” paycheck for his death-defying free climb of Taipei 101 for Netflix’s Skyscraper Live, according to a report in The New York Times.

Honnold completed the climb of the 101-story skyscraper without ropes or safety equipment on Jan. 25, finishing in approximately one hour and 31 minutes. The event, which had been postponed due to local weather conditions, drew global attention, with many describing it as potentially “the biggest urban free solo climb ever,” CNN reported.

Speaking to The New York Times, Honnold said his payment fell short of what he and his agent had hoped for, though he did not disclose the exact amount. Reports indicate he received a mid-six-figure sum.

“Actually, if you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it’s an embarrassingly small amount,” Honnold said. “You know, Major League Baseball players get like $170 million contracts. Like, someone you haven’t even heard of and that nobody cares about.”

Honnold added that he would have undertaken the climb “for free” if the building had permitted it and there was no live broadcast. “I would do it for free. If there were no TV program and the building permitted me to go do the thing, I would do the thing because I know I can, and it’d be amazing,” he said.

He clarified that his pay was not for climbing itself but for participating in the live spectacle: “I’m not getting paid to climb the building. I’m getting paid for the spectacle. I’m climbing the building for free.”

While Honnold is believed to be the first person to free climb Taipei 101, French climber Alain Robert previously ascended the building using ropes when it opened in 2004.

“It’s amazing, I’m sure I’ll be glowing for days, it’s incredible,” Honnold said after the climb. “You spend so long thinking about it and imagining it’s possible, but then to actually do it always feels different.”