Sultan Kösen | |
|---|---|
 Kösen in 2009
| |
| Born |
10 December 1982
Mardin, Turkey
|
| Occupation | Farmer |
| Known for |
Tallest living man 7th verified tallest person in history |
| Height | 8 ft 2.82 in (251.00 cm) |
| Spouse |
Merve Dibo
(m. 2013; div. 2021) |
Sultan Kösen (born 10 December 1982) is a Turkish farmer of Kurdish ethnicity who holds the Guinness World Record for tallest living male at 251 cm (8 ft 2.82 in).
Kösen's growth resulted from the conditions gigantism and acromegaly, caused by a tumour affecting his pituitary gland. Due to his condition, he uses crutches to walk.
Biography
Kösen, a Turkish man of ethnic Kurdish descent, was born in the village of Alibey in Mardin Province of Turkey. Kösen was unable to complete his education because of his height; he instead worked part-time as a farmer. He describes the advantages of being tall as being able to see a great distance and being able to help his family with domestic tasks such as changing light bulbs and hanging curtains. He lists disadvantages as not being able to find clothes for his legs measuring 126 cm (49.61 in) and for his arms with a sleeve length measuring 97 cm (38.19 in) or shoes that fit (his once record-breaking length of 36.5 cm (14.4 in) for left and 35.5 cm (14.0 in) for right foot, whereas his hands are the longest measured in a living person at 28.5 cm (11.2 in)), as well as finding it difficult to fit into an average-sized car.
Starting in 2010, Kösen received Gamma Knife treatment for his pituitary tumour at the University of Virginia Medical School and was provided with medication to control his excessive levels of growth hormone. It was confirmed in March 2012 that the treatment was effective in halting Kösen's growth.
In October 2013, Kösen married Syrian-born Merve Dibo, who is ten years younger than him. In an interview, he said that his biggest problem with his wife is communication, as he spoke Turkish but his wife spoke only Arabic. The pair divorced in 2021 citing the language barrier as one of the key problems. Kösen hopes to marry another woman someday.
On 13 November 2014, as part of Guinness World Records Day, Kösen met, for the first time, the world's shortest man ever, Chandra Bahadur Dangi (54.6 cm (1 ft 9+1⁄2 in), at an event in London.
In 2014, Kösen joined the Magic Circus of Samoa and participated in various shows around the world.
Kösen turned 40 years old on 10 December 2022. He celebrated his birthday a few days early by visiting the Ripley's Believe It or Not! museum in Orlando, Florida, United States, and posing next to a life-sized statue of Robert Wadlow, the tallest man ever, at 272 cm (8 ft 11.1 in).
Records
On 25 August 2009, Kösen's standing height was recorded at 246.4 cm (8 ft 1 in) in his home country by Guinness World Records, overtaking former world record holder Bao Xishun, who stands 236.1 cm (7 ft 8+15⁄16 in) tall. Kösen also holds the current Guinness record for the largest hands, at 27.5 cm (10+7⁄8 in), and the second-largest feet: 36.5 cm (14+3⁄8 in) (left foot) and 35.5 cm (14 in) (right foot).
On 25 August 2010, according to the University of Virginia, a height of up to 254.3 cm (8 ft 4+1⁄8 in) had been confirmed by doctors, who stated that this might be Kösen's actual height, artificially lowered by scoliosis and bad posture.
On 9 February 2011, Kösen was remeasured by Guinness World Records at 251 cm (8 ft 2+7⁄8 in). They also remeasured his hands at 28 cm (11 in), which broke his previous record.
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