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Sultan Kosen was confirmed as the world’s tallest man in 2009 when he became the first person in more than two decades to be measured at more than 8ft tall
Sultan Kosen became the world’s tallest man in 2009, holding the crown ever since (Image: Mustafa Seven/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The world’s tallest man stands at 8ft 2in (243cm) and has to sleep in three beds. Sultan Kosen took the Guinness World Record as the world’s tallest living man in 2009 and has even towered over people competing for the crown.
The 43-year-old former farmer replaced 7ft 8.95in Xi Shun when he became the first person over eight feet to be measured in over 20 years. Sultan, who grew up in Ankara, Turkey, always knew he was taller than most people, measuring over 5ft at the age of nine.
But his enormous stature has led to both physical and mental problems, admitting he was shunned by his peers as a youngster, reports Mundo Deportivo . Speaking on the I Had a Doubt podcast, Sultan said: “Because I was so tall, my friends were afraid of me and ran away.”
He says he soon started to develop problems with his eyes, his field of vision began to shrink and he could only see straight ahead. Feeling “embarrassed and ashamed” he would hide away in his bedroom, confessing he “didn’t enjoy” his childhood.
As he continued to grow, Sultan says he became fearful of the future, he added: “As my height increased, my life got worse; it became increasingly bleak. I was constantly thinking about what was going to become of me, whether I would die, whether I would live… I was very afraid; I lived in constant fear.”
Sultan Kosen holding his world record
Sultan measured 8ft 1in when he met the Guinness Book of Records, but has grown since (Image: Halil Ibrahim Sincar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Medics eventually found a tumour in his pituitary gland, something they believed was causing his unusual height as well as his vision issues. He underwent surgery but the tumour returned.
A second operation in 2008 was deemed a success, with Sultan fearing he “would have died” without it. A year later he says his life changed forever when he met the Guinness World Records adjudicators in Turkey.
He explains they wanted to verify claims he was the tallest man in the world. It was then they confirmed he was not only the tallest man, but also had the largest hands and feet in the world. “I measured 2.46 meters, and now I measure 2.51 meters,” he adds.
Speaking to Judith Tiral, he says the record made him feel “accepted”. And while he has overcome the trauma he experienced as a youngster, Sultan does admit that travelling can still be difficult.
Sultan Kosen, who is 2.51 meters (8 feet 3 inches) tall and holds the title of ‘the ‘the tallest man living in the world’ in Guinness World Records, visits Dubai, United Arab Emirates (
Sultan cannot fit on a regular bed (Image: Waleed Zein/Anadolu via Getty Images)
He says it limits what kinds of car he can buy and even how he flies around the world. He added: “The first time I took a plane, I travelled in business, so there was space. I have to travel Business or First. I can’t do economy, not with my height.
“I have to travel in vans or convertible cars. I also have to adjust the seat. It’s hard to take a normal taxi. It needs to be a big vehicle.
“When I go to a hotel, normal beds are too small for me, so they put three single beds, one next to the other, so I can sleep.”
While he was previously shunned by his peers, Sultan says the best thing about being tall now is the fame it has brought him, admitting he now has “friends all over the world”. In 2023 however he faced a challenge to his claim.
Sulemana Abdul Samed in Ghana was reportedly measured at 9ft 6in during a medical check-up. Doctors however lacked the proper equipment to accurately measure Sulemana, and when a BBC reporter travelled to Africa, he measured 7ft 4in.
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