# Who is the largest man on earth whose size is not caused by hormonal malfunctions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 10, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969 "2006-10-10T19:02:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/1 "2006-10-10T19:02:53Z")
Who is the largest man on earth whose size is not caused by [gigantism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigantism) related to hormonal disease or malfunctions? I thinking of a person in the context of someone who is huge, but medically “normal” like [Shaquille O’Neal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O'Neal). How about this guy?[Paul Wight](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wight) ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/2 "2006-10-10T19:10:39Z")
I think that we covered this topic a few months back, something about largest athletic people (so folks like Robert Pershing Wadlow and Andre The Giant were out of the running, no pun intended). Don’t have time to search right now but I think it topped out just over the 7 foot mark - people like Shaq and Yao Ming. Tall but not “huge” (bulky). Under 7 feet you get some might big fellas. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/3 "2006-10-10T19:15:03Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Who is the largest man on earth whose size is not caused by [gigantism](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigantism) related to hormonal disease or malfunctions? I thinking of a person in the context of someone who is huge, but medically “normal” like [Shaquille O’Neal](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaquille_O'Neal). How about this guy?[Paul Wight](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Wight) [/QUOTE] Per your Wikipedia link, Paul Wight (The Big Show) is acromegalic, btw. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/4 "2006-10-10T19:19:21Z")
According to Wiki Xi Shun a Chinese man is the tallest living person who does not have a growth disorder. > **[Bao Xishun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Shun)** > > Bao Xishun (also known as Xi Shun; born November 2, 1951) is a Chinese-Mongolian herdsman from Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, recognized by Guinness World Records as one of the world's tallest living men at 7 feet 9 inches (236 cm) tall. He was formerly certified as the tallest living man by the Guinness World Records. On September 17, 2009, Sultan Kösen overtook Bao Xishun as the tallest living man. > Xishun Bao claims to have been of normal height until he was sixteen years old. He served in the Peopl... ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/5 "2006-10-10T19:46:35Z")
[QUOTE=pool] According to Wiki Xi Shun a Chinese man is the tallest living person who does not have a growth disorder. > **[Bao Xishun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Shun)** > > Bao Xishun (sometimes rendered Bao Xi Shun; born 2 November 1951) is a Chinese herdsman from Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, recognized by Guinness World Records as one of the world's tallest living men at 7 feet 9 inches (236 cm) tall. He was formerly certified as the tallest living man by the Guinness World Records. On September 17, 2009, Sultan Kösen overtook Bao Xishun as the tallest living man. Bao was born in a village on the edge of the Horqin grassland \[zh\], part of Ongniud Banner under the admi... [/QUOTE] I don’t care what that article says he sure as hell looks (and his growth description sounds) like there’s some weird hormonal disorder involved. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/6 "2006-10-10T20:12:25Z")
[QUOTE=Valgard] Per your Wikipedia link, Paul Wight (The Big Show) is acromegalic, btw. [/QUOTE] Interestingly, the article says that Wight underwent pituitary-gland surgery when he was 12. Does this mean is _not now_ an acromegalic, but that he _once was_? ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/7 "2006-10-10T22:37:24Z")
I don’t know if this guy qualifies as the answer to your question but he has to be the biggest, toughest SOB on the planet. [Nikolai Valuev](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolai_Valuev) ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/8 "2006-10-10T23:49:46Z")
Dalip Singh from the remake of The Longest Yard is a pretty big son of a bitch but I have no idea whether he has a growth disorder or not. > **[Dalip Singh](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalip_Singh)** > > Dalip Singh may refer to: ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/9 "2006-10-11T01:26:23Z")
I don’t know about currently living, but the record holder has long been considered [ur]=“[Angus MacAskill - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angus_McAskill)”]Angus MacAskill, who topped out at 7’9" and I don’t know how many pounds. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2006, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-largest-man-on-earth-whose-size-is-not-caused-by-hormonal-malfunctions/375969/10 "2006-10-11T02:13:33Z")
Maybe. Personally, I’m suspicious of the 7’9". Various legitimate seven-footers plus in the 20th centure were billed as being up to a foot taller. I don’t doubt that he was a NBAMF, but unless there’s some pretty convincing evidence to back it up that could be an exaggeration, too. It’s also interesting to note that although his death at an early age of a “brain infection.” Also that many of his legendary feats were recorded 40 years after his death. Who knows what it might really have been.