When The "French Spiderman" Climbed The Twin Towers, And Got Arrested For It!

Watching Alex Honnold free-climb Taipei 101—now lighting up social media—suddenly unlocked a memory closer to home. Long before viral clips and algorithm fame, Kuala Lumpur had its own jaw-dropping moment.


September 2009. Dawn in the city.

Out of nowhere, the so-called “French Spiderman”, Alain Robert, began scaling the Petronas Twin Towers—bare-handed, no ropes, no safety net. Somehow, he had slipped past security two hours earlier and was already clinging to one of the world’s tallest buildings as the city slowly woke up.

By 7.30am, the 47-year-old had reached the summit of the 452-metre (1,483-foot) tower. At the top, he unfurled a Malaysian flag—an audacious flourish that drew gasps, cameras, and inevitably, the authorities. Moments later, he was apprehended by police.


This wasn’t a one-off stunt. It was Robert’s third attempt on the Twin Towers, after being stopped in 1997 and again in 2007. By then, he had already built a global reputation scaling icons like the Eiffel Tower, Canary Wharf’s One Canada Square, and the Empire State Building—always without ropes, always flirting with the edge.

His attempt in 2007

In the end, there was no jail time. Just a RM2,000 fine from the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court.

But for those who remember that morning, the image remains unforgettable: a lone figure on steel and glass, turning Malaysia’s skyline into a stage for one of the most daring climbs the city has ever seen.

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