George King

George King, known widely as “The Shard Climber,” is a British free-solo urban climber and BASE jumper who shot to fame in July 2019 when, at just 19 years old, he scaled the exterior of The Shard in London—Europe’s tallest building—without ropes or safety equipment.

Born and raised in Oxfordshire, King became fascinated with heights and risk from an early age, climbing rooftops at 12 and progressing to towering cranes by his late teens. Describing himself as “counterphobic,” he’s driven less by physical thrills and more by the mental challenge of controlling fear and mastering extreme situations. His meticulous planning was evident in his Shard climb, which followed over 200 reconnaissance trips and took around 45 minutes to complete in the early dawn hours to avoid detection and minimize disruption.

Though initially cautioned by police, King was later found in contempt of a High Court injunction and sentenced to six months in a young offenders’ institution, of which he served about 12 weeks. Far from deterring him, prison only deepened his resolve, and after his release, he completed a 20-minute free-solo climb of Barcelona’s Torre Glòries, which he dubbed his “redemption climb.” Since then, he’s continued his daring pursuits, including BASE jumping in Berlin and an attempted ascent of the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, where he was again arrested.

Beyond his climbing feats, King has built a profile as a public speaker and documentary subject, appearing in Channel 4’s "The Boy Who Climbed The Shard" and other media projects. He speaks about fear management, resilience, and harnessing the power of neurodiversity, sharing how his ADHD fuels his intense focus and determination.