THE ‘GIANT’: World’s tallest man hobbles with walking stick through Los Angeles airport

Sultan Kosen, who holds the Guinness World Record for the tallest living male, attracted the attention of mobile phonewielding tourists as he strolled through Los Angeles International Airport yesterday. With one hand perched on an aide and the other brandishing a very long walking stick, the world’s tallest living man captured everyone’s attention. At one point waiting at a zebra crossing, a man tried to snap a selfie with the giant as a souvenir. Kösen, a 35-year-old Turkish-Kurdish farmer, measures 251 centimetres or 8 ft 2.82 inches. His incredible height resulted from the condition acromegaly, caused by a tumour affecting his pituitary gland. In 2012, Sultan was hopeful his fame would help him find a woman after struggling romantically. “Until now it’s been really difficult to find a girlfriend. They’re usually scared of me.”