Daniel Goodwin had previously climbed the World Trade Centre in New York and the Sears Tower in Chicago.
"Everyday, thousands of people in our country spend time in high-rise building above the seventh floor and beyond the reach of fire ladders," said Goodwin also known as 'Skyscraperman' and 'Spider Dan'.
"Though developers would like us to believe otherwise, these people are susceptible to being trapped like the people at the World Trade Center on 9/11," he added, in a statement pasted on his website.
A cancer survivor himself, Goodwin's second reason to climb the Millennium Tower was to raise awareness about the disease.
"Despite my survival, cancer remains a top killer on the planet," he said. "My hope is, if a survivor of a Stage Four diagnosis can be seen continuing with their life, no matter how bizarre, others will gain inspiration and together we can find a cure for cancer".
Shortly after Goodwin planted an American flag at the top of a 58-story building in downtown San Francisco, he was arrested by the police and charged for misdemeanor.
'Skyscraperman' was later released. "He made it to the top of the building and my understanding is that there were some officers waiting for him," said Albie Esparza, a spokesman for the San Francisco Police Department, as reported by CNN.
The American media reported that Goodwin started climbing at about 2:15 pm yesterday and the climb took about three hours to finish.
Crowds and the media watched the climber's ascent from below. ABC News reported that Goodwin had left fliers explaining why he was climbing the skyscraper.
The Millennium Tower security asked him to stop climbing but 'Spider Dan' kept going.
Residents inside the building could also see Goodwin, who was dressed in a red costume, climb past their windows.
Many offered words of encouragement and water to the climber.