Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Nobel Foundation Says Peace Prize Cannot Be Transferred After Machado Gives Medal to Trump

The foundation underscored that laureate status is permanent and distinct from the physical medal, which a winner may legally give away or sell.

Overview

  • On Jan. 18, the Nobel Foundation stated a prize cannot be passed on or shared, even symbolically, citing its duty to uphold Alfred Nobel’s will.
  • The Norwegian Nobel Committee had earlier clarified the Peace Prize remains inseparably linked to the named laureate, though the medal may change hands.
  • The White House posted photos of President Trump accepting María Corina Machado’s framed 2025 Peace Prize medal, with officials saying he intends to keep it.
  • Machado said she presented the medal to Trump in recognition of what she called his commitment to Venezuela’s freedom and to signal her gratitude.
  • The Nobel institutions noted there are no statutory limits on a laureate disposing of the medal, diploma, or prize money, and press reports highlighted past examples of medals being transferred without altering laureate status.