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Travis Kelce, Simone Biles, Cristiano Ronaldo & More Athletes' Incomes Revealed
The number in Alex Honnold’s bank account isn’t climbing quite as high as he’d like.
In fact, the professional rock climber revealed that his payday for scaling 1,667-foot skyscraper Taipei 101 without any safety equipment, which was broadcast live on Netflix Jan. 25 in Taiwan, was “embarrassing,” especially compared to what other professional athletes make.
"Actually, if you put it in the context of mainstream sports, it’s an embarrassingly small amount," he told the New York Times in an interview published Jan. 23. "You know, Major League Baseball players get like $170 million contracts. Like, someone you haven’t even heard of and that nobody cares about."
While he didn’t share his exact compensation, he did earn "mid-six figures" for climbing one of the tallest buildings in the world, according to the New York Times. That being said, Alex, 40, noted that he would have been happy to complete the death-defying feat for no money at all.
"If there was no TV program and the building gave me permission to go do the thing,” he explained, “I would do the thing because I know I can, and it’d be amazing.”
The athlete—who shares daughters June, 3, and Alice, 23 months, with wife Sanni McCandless—summitted the 101-story building in just over an hour and a half. And this wouldn’t be his first free-solo climb. Indeed, the dad of two made history in 2017 by becoming the first person to climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without safety ropes, which was chronicled in the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo.
As for why he felt called to climb Taipei 101, specifically? Well, that dream first began over a decade ago.
Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images
“I actually scouted it for a different TV thing that fell apart in 2013, I think,” he told Jay Shetty during the Jan. 7 episode of the Jay Shetty Podcast. “So, for the last 12 years I’ve known that it was possible. The building is honestly uniquely suited for climbing.”
When asked flat-out why he would attempt the nail-biting climb at all, it was a no-brainer.
“Why? Because it’s awesome,” he explained. “Because I get to, basically. Because it’ll be so fun.”
He added, “It’s really hard to get permission to climb a building and if you get permission, you kind of have to say ‘yes.’”
For a closer look at more salaries of professional athletes, read on…
Al Nassr Football Club / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Cristiano Ronaldo
For many sports stars, Cristiano Ronaldo's salary is goals. After all, the Portuguese soccer player regularly tops lists of highest-paid athletes.
In June 2025, Ronaldo signed a two-year extension with Al-Nassr FC in Saudi Arabia. And while the exact value of the deal wasn't revealed, multiple outlets reported he received an annual salary of approximately $200 million when he first signed with the team in 2022 after leaving Manchester United in England.
Eduardo Carmim Eduardo Carmim/SPP/Shutterstock
Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi kicked off his time at Inter Miami CF with a big check. The annualized average guaranteed compensation for the Argentine player—who signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the David Beckham-owned team in 2023 after having previously played for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona—is more than $20.4 million, with a current annualized base salary of $12 million, per the MLS Players Association's 2025 salary guide.
Alex Pantling - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Alex Morgan
However, pay gaps still exist when comparing the salaries of male and female sports stars. Case in point? There were no women on Forbes' 2025 list of top 50 highest-paid athletes.
Alex Morgan—who retired from soccer in 2024 after playing her last game with the San Diego Wave—came in at No. 16 on the outlet's ranking of highest-paid female athletes last year. The publication estimated the World Cup champ earned $600,000 on-field and $7 million off-field (scoring some solid endorsement deals) in 2024.
And while there have been strides to bridge the pay gap (with U.S. Soccer becoming the first federation to equalize FIFA World Cup prize money for the country's women's and men's national teams), there is still a long way to go until it's a more equitable playing field.
Matt Kryger/NBAE via Getty Images
Caitlin Clark
After being the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin Clark signed a four-year contract with the Indiana Fever that, according to The Athletic, was worth $338,056 and resulted in her receiving a $76,535 salary her rookie year.
Many were shocked by the figures considering the base salary for NBA players is much higher.
Caitlin also has endorsement deals, including one with Nike that The Athletic reported was worth $28 million.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Stephen Curry
Topping ESPN's list of NBA players' salaries for the 2025 to 2026 season is Stephen Curry, with the outlet reporting he raked in $59.6 million. However, the Golden State Warriors weren't going to miss their shot at having the guard play longer.
In August 2024, Steph signed a $62.6 million extension that keeps him on the team through 2027, his agent confirmed to CNBC.
David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James
Also dunking all the way to the bank? LeBron James. According to ESPN's list, the Los Angeles Lakers forward made $52.6 million during the 2025 to 2026 season.
Julian Finney/Getty Images
Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff is also serving up major moves.
The tennis champ reigned at the top of Forbes' list of highest paid female athletes in 2024 with an estimated $34.4 million in total earnings that year ($9.4 million on-court and $25 million off).
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka appears to be acing her brand deals, too.
Forbes reported the Grand Slam title holder from Japan pulled in an estimated $12.9 million in 2024, and that $12 million of that sum came from income earned outside of her match winnings.
Tom Weller/VOIGT/GettyImages
Simone Biles
Simone Biles got the gold in more way than one.
According to Forbes' list, the Olympic gymnast earned an estimated $11.2 million in 2024 (with $11 million of that total reportedly coming outside of her competition earnings).
David Eulitt/Getty Images
Travis Kelce
If you're trying to fill the blank space on how much Travis Kelce makes playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, here's the answer: The tight end signed a two-year deal in 2024 worth $34.25 million, according to NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero.
Jason Hanna/Getty Images
Patrick Mahomes
As for his teammate Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback scored a pretty penny when he signed a 10-year contract with the Chiefs in 2020 worth $450 million, according to his agency Equity Sports.
Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images
Josh Allen
The Buffalo Bills weren't going to fumble the opportunity to keep Josh Allen on their team. In March 2025, the quarterback inked a six-year deal that, per Rapoport, is worth $330 million (with $250 million guaranteed).
Duncan Williams/CSM/Shutterstock
Russell Wilson
Russell Wilson touched down on a new team.
After previously playing for the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, the quarterback signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants in March 2025 worth $10.5 million, per NFL Network Insiders' Rapoport, Pelissero and Mike Garafolo. However, the trio reported Russell could receive up to $21 million on the deal through incentives.
Justin K. Aller/Getty Images
Aaron Rodgers
Stepping in as the Steelers' quarterback is Aaron Rodgers, who previously played for the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers.
And while the QB will be wearing No. 8, his paycheck reflects a much bigger number. The one-year contract he signed in June 2025 is worth $13.65 million with $10 million guaranteed, per NFL Network Insiders Rapoport and Pelissero. However, the Insiders noted Aaron could earn up to $19.5 million through incentives.
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