Officials expect significant damage to the Sphere in Las Vegas. They have yet to complete their assessment, but estimates hover above $100,000.
This concern comes after Maison Des Champs, a free-climber and activist who’s been dubbed the “Pro-Life Spiderman,” scaled the world’s most viral entertainment venue on the Wednesday prior to the Super Bowl. He was promptly arrested after the stunt.
According to the arrest report, an engineer inside the Sphere was the first to notice that Des Champs was climbing the exosphere. The latter told the former that he was doing fine, and that he planned to climb back down the way that he came after reaching the top.
That prompted the engineer to notify supervisors and alert the police. Las Vegas police did not want to perform a helicopter rescue, so they met Des Champs at the top and brought him down through a removable porthole. He reportedly bragged to the officers that his attorneys will get the charges dropped after being cuffed.
The 24-year-old daredevil is currently facing charges of destroying private property and conspiracy. Des Champs is set to next appear in court in August.
Matthew German, the Sphere Vice President of Security and Threat Management, told police that the Sphere is not meant to be touched, let alone climbed. It will take time to assess the full extent of the damage, but officials anticipate a number greater than $100,000. There is also concern about a leak of intellectual property because the stunt was streamed live online.
The exosphere is made up of 1.2 million LED pucks, which each hold 48 lights. They are on a track called “carriers,” which are made of aluminum and are not meant to support weight.
In fact, any repairs to the exosphere will be done from inside the Sphere.