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35m ago

Machado Says She Gave Her Nobel Medal to Trump as Committee Reasserts Nontransferable Rule

Nobel officials stress that only the named laureate holds the honor, regardless of who possesses the medal.

Both of these men have a Nobel prize now—or do they?

Overview

  • During a private White House lunch on Jan. 15, María Corina Machado said she presented her 2025 Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump, and a White House official said he intends to keep it.
  • The Norwegian Nobel Committee said the Peace Prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred and that Machado cannot give the award to Trump.
  • While the title remains with the laureate, the committee cannot prevent sales of the physical medal on the secondary market.
  • Nobel medals have fetched widely varying sums at auction, from Dmitry Muratov’s record $103.5 million in 2022 to sub‑$1 million results and no‑sales for some awards.
  • Since the 1980s the medals have been made of 18‑karat recycled gold, and debate over politically sensitive awards has made the institution more cautious after episodes such as Barack Obama’s 2009 prize.