The world's tallest living man, Sultan Kosen, who stands at 8ft 2in (2.43m), requires three single beds pushed together to sleep comfortably. The 43-year-old former farmer from Ankara, Turkey, has held the Guinness World Record since 2009, when he became the first person over eight feet to be measured in over 20 years.
Kosen's extraordinary height has caused both physical and mental challenges. He revealed on the 'I Had a Doubt' podcast that as a child, peers were afraid of him and would run away. He also developed vision problems, with his field of vision shrinking until he could only see straight ahead. Feeling embarrassed and ashamed, he often hid in his bedroom and said he did not enjoy his childhood.
Medics later discovered a tumour on his pituitary gland, which they believed caused his unusual height and vision issues. After a first surgery failed, a second operation in 2008 was successful; Kosen said he feared he would have died without it. A year later, Guinness World Records adjudicators confirmed he was the tallest man, also noting he had the largest hands and feet in the world.
Despite his fame, travel remains difficult. Kosen cannot fit in economy class on planes and must travel business or first class. He also requires vans or convertible cars and cannot take normal taxis. In hotels, staff place three single beds side by side for him to sleep.
Kosen says the best part of being tall now is the fame and the friends he has made worldwide. In 2023, his record was challenged by Sulemana Abdul Samed in Ghana, who was initially reported at 9ft 6in but later measured at 7ft 4in by a BBC reporter.
