Meet Sultan Kosen, the newly-minted tallest man in the world at 8-feet-1 inches tall (2.47 meters) according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

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The 27-year old from Mardin in Southwest Turkey easily took the title from the previous world-record China‘s Bao Xishun, who measured in at a puny 7-feet-9 inches (2.36 meters).

From HULIQ:  Hopefully the Guinness award will help Kosen move out of a past full of difficult times. He was diagnosed with pituitary gigantism at age 10 after doctors discovered a tumor behind his eyes; the tumor had put excess pressure on his pituitary gland and caused his extreme growth.

A series of surgeries to stop his growth were finally successful last year.

“Up until now, I’ve really had a difficult life,” Kosen told Lauer and Vieira through Garrett. “But I’m happy. From now, I’m really going to have it a lot easier.”

Kosen is one of only 10 confirmed or reliably reported cases in which humans have grown past the eight foot (2.44 meter) mark, according to Guinness.

Turkey has the 31st tallest males in the world according to this data. The average height of Turkish males, ages 20+, are  5-foot-8 1/2 inches (174.1 cm), a full 2.5 feet shorter than their countryman Kosen.

At 7-foot-7 inches (2.31 meters), two international players, Manute Bol and Gheorghe Mureşan were the tallest players ever to play in the NBA

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