Towering 2.51 meters (8 feet 3 inches) high, the world’s tallest man doesn’t want much for his 40th birthday – just a car that will accommodate his impressive stature, plus peace on earth for everyone.
Receiving birthday greetings from his loved ones, Sultan Kosen shared his gratitude for all this love with Anadolu Agency.
“I turned 40 but my heart is still like a child’s heart, it’s evergreen,” said the Turkish man of ethnic Kurdish decent. He added that he still feels like a 14- or 15-year-old.
Chandra Bahadur Dangi, from Nepal, (R) the shortest adult to have ever been verified by Guinness World Records, is pictured with the world's tallest man Sultan Kosen from Turkey, during a photocall in London on November 13, 2014, to mark Guinness World Records Day. Chandra Dangi, measures a tiny 21.5in (0.54m) – the same height as six stacked cans of beans. Sultan Kosen measures 8 ft 3in (2.51m). AFP PHOTO / ANDREW COWIE (Photo by ANDREW COWIE / AFP)
Voicing his prayers for the world on his special day, he also pointed to a wish a bit closer to home, “something really special” for himself.
“My wish for myself is for people out there to make a car that’s suitable for my height as I can’t drive due to my height,” he explained.
“I also want a Sultan Kosen museum to be built in Mardin (southeastern Türkiye). Hopefully, I will be able to realize this wish in the near future,” he said.
Kosen – one of only 10 confirmed/reliable cases of people over 8 ft (2.4 m) high – first made the Guinness Book of World Records in 2009, and has reigned there ever since.
As well as his height, Kosen also holds the record for largest hands –28.5 centimeters (11.22 inches) from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger – and feet spanning 36.5 cm (1 ft 2 in).
