Sultan Kösen: A history of the world's tallest people all the way to reigning tallest man
The world’s reigning tallest man – and Guinness World Records ICON - Sultan Kösen is our final stop in the history of the world’s tallest people.
Sultan, from Türkiye, was the first person over 8 ft to be measured in a very long time, causing much excitement around Guinness World Records HQ.
There are actually only 10 confirmed or reliable cases in history of people reaching over 8 ft tall… so meeting Sultan is pretty much a one-in-a-billion occasion.
He took the title from China’s Bao Xi Shun in 2009 and has now held on to it for 16 years. He’s just a few years behind Väinö Myllyrinne, who had the longest reign as tallest person with 19 years in the hot seat.
Sultan also holds the record for largest hands on a living person (male) with hands measuring 28.5 cm (11.22 in) from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger.
His feet were also once record breakers, with his left foot measuring 36.5 cm (1 ft 2 in) and right foot measuring 35.5 cm (1 ft 1.98 in).
He once said of appearing within the pages of Guinness World Records: "I never imagined I would be in the book, I dreamed about it, but it was still a huge surprise."
Early life to extraordinary growth
Sultan was born on 10 December 1982 in the village of Alibey in Mardin, Türkiye.
His parents and four siblings were all of average height.
His exceptional growth didn’t start until he was 10 years old and was caused by gigantism and acromegaly, conditions he developed due to a tumour on his pituitary gland.
He grew so tall during his school years that he was left unable to complete his education.
Sultan took a job as a farmer to help support his family.
He did also have a brief stint playing for basketball team Galatasaray S.K., although it was deemed he was too tall to play the sport.
These days, while he is still pretty mobile, he uses canes or crutches to stabilize himself while walking.
Sultan actually had specialized treatment in 2010 in a bid to control his rapid growth.
He had gamma-knife treatment – a type of surgery that uses radiation – on his pituitary tumour at the University of Virginia Medical School in the US.
Sultan was also given medicine to control his high level of growth hormone, and in 2012 it was confirmed the treatment had been successful in halting his growth.
It’s believed the surgery essentially saved his life.
An illustration of Sultan Kösen
Ups and downs
Sultan has been very open about the pros and cons that come along with his record-breaking height.
He says that some of the advantages are being able to see a great distance away, and helping his loved ones with domestic tasks they may otherwise require a ladder for, like changing lightbulbs and hanging curtains.
When it comes to the downsides, Sultan says it’s incredibly difficult for him to find clothes that fit due to the long length of his arms and legs.
As you’d expect, it’s also very tough for him to find shoes, and he has to have them specially made for his size EU60 feet.
And it’s unlikely you’ll see him catching a ride in an average-sized car.
Getting around certainly isn’t easy when you’re as tall as Sultan is, but he’s still managed to travel all around the world.
Taking the record
Sultan first took the record in February 2009 after he was measured to be 246.5 cm (8 ft 1 in).
By February 2011, he’d grown even taller. At a height of 251 cm (8 ft 2.8 in), his title has gone undisputed ever since.
Guinness World Records Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday has had the honour of meeting Sultan multiple times over the years.
Here, he shares his fondest memories in his own words…
I was lucky enough to be the first person at Guinness World Records to meet and measure Sultan.
I flew to Ankara in Türkiye, where the government had set up Sultan in a home that had been modified for this height. We first met in a hotel, with his brother, and did the measurement right there. It was an unforgettable moment, as Sultan was the first person in the 21st century to be confirmed as standing over 8 ft (2.44 m) tall - I felt privileged to be the one to do this.
Interestingly, you just cannot find a stadiometer designed to measure someone this tall - they just don't make, at least as far as I could determine - so we did it old-school, against a wall in the hotel.
We then went for a walk around Ankara. Walking with giants is always a fascinating experience, as you can see how every single person that passes by is wowed by what they see. People literally stop a stare, wide-eyed and wide-jawed, and inevitably the mobile phones are whipped out.
Sultan takes it all in his stride but don't get in his way - once he's off, he's off, and beware of this swinging walking stick or crutches if you don't get out his way!
It's a cliche, as ever, but Sultan is a gentle giant - as long as he's not being pestered to stop every two steps for yet another selfie.
We went for food that day and I remember him demolishing a lot of chicken! He's a big meat eater, and we got through a few kebabs that day!
I remember also being struck by just how tiny a soda can looked his enormous hand.
We met again a year later, when Sultan visited London to film a documentary. For the cameras, I was asked to measure him again, just as we'd done in Ankara.
Interestingly, this time, Sultan was 2 inches taller, which meant that he'd grown considerably over the past year. Yet his doctors in Türkiye had told him the tumour on his pituitary had been eradicated and that he wasn't getting any taller.
The measurement in London revealed this not to be the case. When the documentary was broadcast, it came to the attention of the University of West Virginia, who offered to invite Sultan to the USA to have the tumour treated with gamma-knife surgery, and a result of this kind donation, his tumour was lasered off and he finally stopped growing.
He also received other offers - the wife of a dentist saw that Sultan was shy about smiling because he didn't want to show his crooked teeth - one of the side effects of the excessive growth hormone surging through his body for years. So after a quick visit to the dentist, Sultan emerged with a dazzling white Hollywood smile!
We've connected a few times over the years, although I had to politely decline an invite to his wedding, which I was disappointed about.
My favourite experience was taking Sultan to New York to be fitted for a pair of jeans. He'd always wanted to be able to wear jeans but obviously could never find them in his size. We found a rather trendy tailor in Manhattan who offered to make him a pair so off we flew.
Sultan with GWR's Craig Glenday
(Flying with him is also a unique experience! He can't fit into the restrooms on planes, so the Virgin Atlantic crew had to hold up their coats as Sultan kept the door open with his foot and peed from outside the cubicle! Also, lying flat is impossible, even in Virgin's Upper Class cabin, so Sultan resorted to sleeping in the vestibules or aisles.)
When Sultan tried on his first ever pair of jeans, he wept tears of happiness - it was a very touching moment. Since then, he's had many suits and shoes tailor made for him, and a group of knitters who watched that documentary even crafted him a giant blanket to keep him warm in the winter.
To be present and witness how much Sultan's life has changed since being accepted into the GWR family makes the job of working here really special, and I feel really proud to be able to play a small part in changing his life.
Worldwide fame and ICON status
Sultan’s record changed his life.
He suddenly found himself travelling the world to make special appearances at events and on TV shows.
YouTubers and social media influencers were flocking to his hometown in their droves, desperate to spend a day with the world’s tallest man.
And iconic meet ups were being arranged between him and the world’s shortest people, with the staggering difference in their heights making headlines around the world.
Sultan also got married after finding fame, tying the knot with Merve Dibo in 2013. However, the couple divorced in 2021, citing the language barrier between them.
He once told us: "It’s really difficult to find a girlfriend. They are usually scared of me. Hopefully now that I'm famous I'll be able to meet lots of girls. My dream is to be married.
"I want what everyone else wants. A wife, a family, a nice home. I'd also like the chance to find some decent clothes that fit! I've already had a suit made for me, and at least one dream has come true: I now own a pair of jeans made especially for me!"
We’re sure Sultan has many more exciting adventures to come, and we can’t wait to play our part.