* No central registry exists: Universities independently award honorary degrees, and there's no global database tracking them all.
* Varying definitions: What constitutes an "honorary degree" can be subtly different across institutions.
* Secrecy/Lack of Public Information: Some recipients may not publicly disclose all the honorary degrees they've received.
While several individuals are frequently cited as having a very large number of honorary degrees (often in the hundreds), it's impossible to definitively say who holds the most. Any claim would be based on incomplete information.