The giant who grew too much: 7ft 4ins Ghanaian dies aged 33 after complications from growing too tall

By OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 09:26, 30 July 2026 | Updated: 09:26, 30 July 2026 Ghana's tallest man has died aged 33 after years of health problems linked to a rare genetic condition that caused him to keep growing. Sulemana Abdul Samed, who was measured at 7ft 4in in 2022 but was believed to have grown even taller before his death, died on Monday from infected sores on his legs.  Better known by his nickname Awuche, meaning 'let's go' in the Hausa language, Mr Samed had become a well-known figure across Ghana and was regarded as a celebrity in his home village of Gambaga.  Tributes poured in after his death, with relatives remembering him as a kind and generous man who had brought national attention to the remote community.  Sulemana Abdul Kudus, a relative, told the BBC: 'Everyone knew how generous and kind he was. From when he died until now, a lot of people are still coming to the house to find out what exactly happened.'  He added: 'Anywhere he went in the country, if people asked where he was from, he would say Gambaga and they knew that was where the tallest man came from. It gave the community an identity.' Mr Samed had Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the body's connective tissue and can cause excessive growth, unusually long limbs and serious heart complications. He died in hospital in the northern city of Tamale after being admitted with infected leg sores. His family said the wounds were not directly caused by Marfan syndrome but were likely linked to complications from his condition. Ghana's tallest man has died aged 33 after years of health problems linked to a rare genetic condition that caused him to keep growing Sulemana Abdul Samed, who was measured at 7ft 4in in 2022 but was believed to have grown even taller before his death, died on Monday from infected sores on his legs Better known by his nickname Awuche, meaning 'let's go' in the Hausa language, Mr Samed had become a well-known figure across Ghana and was regarded as a celebrity in his home village of Gambaga His case attracted national attention, with the brother of Ghanaian President John Mahama reportedly stepping in to cover his medical expenses after he struggled to access treatment. Questions over Mr Samed's true height emerged in 2023 when reports suggested he could challenge for the title of the world's tallest living man. Hospital staff initially estimated his height at an astonishing 9ft 6in because they lacked equipment capable of measuring someone so tall. That figure would have made him the tallest person ever recorded.  However, a later measurement carried out by journalists at his home put his height at 7ft 4in. The current Guinness World Records holder is Turkey’s Sultan Kosen, who stands at 8ft 3in, while the tallest person ever reliably recorded was American Robert Wadlow, who reached 8ft 11in before his death in 1940. Mr Samed said his extraordinary growth did not begin until he was in his early twenties while working in a butcher’s shop in Accra and saving to attend driving school. He recalled waking one morning with a swollen tongue that left him struggling to breathe before noticing the rest of his body also continued to grow. As his condition worsened, his spine became increasingly curved, forcing him to abandon his ambition of becoming a driver and give up playing football because of mobility problems.