Tallest Man in the World: Records, History & Current Holder

At his death in 1940, an American named Robert Wadlow measured just over 2.7 metres — and still holds the record nobody has matched in more than eight decades. Today, the title of tallest living man belongs to a farmer from Turkey named Sultan Kösen, whose verified height of 251 cm (8 ft 2.8 in) has stood since February 2011. This article sorts confirmed Guinness measurements from viral unverified claims, so you know exactly where the records stand.

Tallest Man Ever: Robert Wadlow · Peak Height: 272 cm (8 ft 11 in) · Measurement Date: 27 July 1940 · Tallest Living Man: Sultan Kösen · Key Source: Guinness World Records

The key facts about the tallest people in recorded history are summarised below.

Who is the tallest guy on Earth right now?

Sultan Kösen is the tallest man alive, and the record is not close. On 8 February 2011, officials from Guinness World Records measured him at 251 cm (8 ft 2.8 in) at a clinic in Ankara, Turkey — making him roughly 21 cm shorter than Robert Wadlow’s all-time record. That measurement has not been surpassed by any verified claimant since.

Sultan Kösen details

Kösen was born on 10 December 1982 in Turkey, working as a part-time farmer before his record brought international attention. His growth spurt began at age 10, driven by pituitary gigantism — a condition that causes the pituitary gland to over-produce growth hormone. He holds additional Guinness records for largest hands on a living person (28.5 cm from wrist to middle finger) and formerly held the largest feet record (left foot 36.5 cm, right 35.5 cm). He now uses crutches to walk due to his condition.

Verification by Guinness

Kösen first earned the tallest-living title in February 2009 when measured at 246.5 cm (8 ft 1 in). He was the first person confirmed over 8 feet by Guinness in over 20 years. He overtook Bao Xishun of China, who had held the title from January 2005 to February 2009 at 236.1 cm. As of 2025, Kösen has held the tallest-living-man title for over 16 consecutive years.

The pattern is clear: Kösen’s reign has outlasted all but one previous holder, Väinö Myllyrinne, who held the title for 19 years in the mid-20th century. For anyone tracking the record, Kösen’s longevity is already a data point in itself.

Who is the tallest man ever recorded?

Robert Pershing Wadlow of Alton, Illinois remains the tallest person in recorded history. At his death on 15 July 1940, he measured 272 cm (8 ft 11 in) — a figure no verified claimant has matched in more than 80 years.

Robert Wadlow biography

Born on 22 February 1918, Wadlow showed no signs of unusual growth until he was around one year old. By age 10 he stood over 183 cm (6 ft), and by his late teens he had surpassed 240 cm. Unlike many people with growth disorders, Wadlow displayed no cognitive impairment — he was a college student and worked as a circus performer. His height resulted from hypertrophy of his pituitary gland.

Final measurement

Wadlow’s final measurement of 272 cm was taken on 27 June 1940, less than a month before his death at age 22. He weighed 220 kg (485 lb) at the time, wore shoe size 37AA (47 cm), and had an arm span of 2.88 m. His hands measured 32.4 cm from wrist to middle finger. He died in July 1940 from an infected blister that his body could not fight off — a stark reminder of the health toll extreme height extracts.

Who is the 9 foot 6 guy?

A Ghanaian man named Sulemana Abdul Samed gained viral attention in 2024 when social media posts claimed he stood at nearly 9 feet (274 cm). He became widely known online as “Awuche.” His reported height is roughly 2 cm taller than Wadlow’s verified measurement, but the claim has not been confirmed by Guinness World Records.

Sulemana Abdul Samed claims

Reports indicate that Awuche was measured at hospitals in Ghana at a reported height of approximately 9 ft 6 in (290 cm), though different facilities reportedly gave varying results. Scaled-up images circulating on social media amplified the claim, but without an official Guinness adjudication, the figure remains unverified.

Verification status

Guinness World Records told journalists that Awuche had not submitted to an official measurement as of early 2025. The organisation has stated that any record claim requires in-person measurement by a Guinness adjudicator using standardised methods. Without that step, Awuche’s height cannot enter the official record. He is not listed in Guinness’s Hall of Fame or world records database.

Has any human been 10 feet tall?

No verified human being has ever been measured at 10 feet (305 cm) by Guinness World Records or any other recognised authority. The biological mechanisms that drive extreme height — primarily pituitary gigantism and acromegaly — appear to have a ceiling well below that mark.

Historical claims review

Throughout history, various cultures have produced oral accounts and estimates of individuals exceeding 9 feet, but almost none survive scrutiny. John Rogan, an American who lived from 1868 to 1905, reached 241 cm (7 ft 11 in) — still under 8 feet. The pre-modern era simply did not have standardised measurement practices, so unverified historical tallness claims are largely untestable.

Medical evidence

The growth plates in human bones fuse in adulthood, and growth-hormone disorders accelerate height primarily before fusion completes. Modern endocrinology estimates the theoretical maximum human height from growth-hormone dysfunction at roughly 8 to 9 feet under ideal conditions — well below 10 feet. The fact that none of the roughly 10 people confirmed by Guinness at 8+ feet has approached 10 ft suggests the biological ceiling is real.

Who are the top 10 tallest men in the world?

Ranking the tallest people requires drawing a clear line between verified Guinness measurements and unverified online claims. The list below covers both the all-time record and the current living hierarchy.

Ranked list

Here is how the verified record holders stack up, combining historical and living champions.

Five verified record holders, with Wadlow and Kösen clearly ahead of the rest. Leonid Stadnyk of Ukraine reportedly measured at a hospital at 235 cm but refused Guinness officials entry to verify the claim — that refusal is why he does not appear on the official Guinness list.

2nd tallest details

Sultan Kösen holds the second-highest verified height in recorded history. The gap between him and Wadlow is 21 cm — roughly the height difference between an average adult man and a 12-year-old. Bao Xishun, at 236.1 cm, held the number-two spot before Kösen’s emergence. If Awuche’s claims are ever confirmed by Guinness, he would claim the top spot outright.

The implication is straightforward: until someone submits to official measurement, the verified hierarchy remains unchanged, with Wadlow at the summit and Kösen commanding the living record.

“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.”

— Guinness World Records official, Guinness World Records 2025 history report

“Wadlow’s record has lasted eight decades not because nobody has tried to break it, but because the medical and biological constraints on human height are extremely tight.”

— Editorial observation supported by Guinness verification data

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Frequently asked questions

For anyone following this record, the practical takeaway is straightforward: Wadlow’s 1940 record stands, and Kösen’s living record is secure until an official Guinness measurement produces a new figure. Social media height claims, no matter how widely shared, carry no weight in this record without that step. The next time someone asks “who is the tallest man in the world?”, the answer is still Sultan Kösen — and the reason we know that is because Guinness measured him.