The Nobel Foundation said Nobel Prizes are “inseparable” from the laureate, but the medals, diplomas, and prize money may be given away, sold, or donated.
In a statement released on 16 January, the organization clarified that the Nobel Peace Prize can “never be revoked” and that “the decision is final and applies for all time,” regardless of what happens to the physical symbols of the prize such as the gold medal, diploma, or the monetary award.
The statement followed the gesture of 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who gave her Nobel Prize medal to United States President Donald Trump on 15 January in recognition of his commitment to freedom. Trump accepted the medal during a meeting at the White House.
The gold medal is made of 18-carat gold, weighs 196 grams, and measures 6.6 centimetres in diameter. It features a portrait of Alfred Nobel and was designed by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland in 1901.
Machado won the award just months ago in recognition “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” the award-giving body said.
Weeks before the White House meeting, Trump made headlines after announcing the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over narcotrafficking and corruption charges.
The Nobel Foundation added that the Norwegian Nobel Committee does not comment on a laureate’s actions after the award has been given.
“The Norwegian Nobel Committee does not see it as their role to engage in day-to-day commentary on Peace Prize laureates or the political processes that they are engaged in,” the statement said.
“The Committee does not comment on laureates’ subsequent statements, decisions, or actions. Any ongoing assessments or choices made by laureates must be understood as their own responsibility,” it added.
Giving away or selling a Nobel medal is not new. Several winners have chosen to do so in the past.
Maria Ressa’s co-laureate, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, sold his Nobel Peace Prize medal for USD 103.5 million in 2022, with the proceeds donated to UNICEF to support Ukrainian refugee children. The sale is considered the highest amount ever paid for a Nobel Prize medal.