Femi Ashekun/
The Norwegian Nobel Institute has moved swiftly to reaffirm that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, shared or claimed by another individual, after Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado, presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a White House meeting.
In a rare and pointed public clarification, the Institute stressed that while a physical medal may change hands, the status of Nobel Peace Prize laureate remains exclusively with the original recipient and “stands for all time.”
The clarification triggered swift international attention, with diplomats, legal scholars and Nobel observers pointing to the rarity of the Institute’s intervention on a matter already generating intense political and public debate.
The Nobel Peace Centre used the moment to restate the century-old principles governing the award, noting that while Nobel medals have at times been loaned, auctioned or gifted after ceremonies, the Peace Prize itself remains legally and morally indivisible, a distinction the Institute described as fundamental to the credibility of the Nobel system.
The Centre highlighted details about the medal, noting it measures 6.6cm in diameter, weighs 196g, bears a portrait of Alfred Nobel, and features three figures symbolising brotherhood on its reverse, a design unchanged for 120 years.
The statement came hours after President Trump publicly welcomed the gesture from Machado, writing on social media that it was his “great honour” to meet the Venezuelan opposition leader and describing her presentation of the medal as “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The White House echoed that framing in an official post, confirming that Machado had presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize medal in the Oval Office “in recognition and honour”, a description that further fuelled debate over symbolism, ownership and the meaning of the prize itself.
Machado, who was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights and a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy” in Venezuela, told reporters she gave the medal to Trump “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom,” framing the gesture as symbolic gratitude rather than a transfer of laureate status.
Historical parallels were cited, including the auction of Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel medal for over $100 million to support Ukrainian refugees, and the loan of Christian Lous Lange’s medal to the Nobel Peace Centre.
The episode sparked questions on social media, including a trending post from X user Pramod Kumar Singh, who asked: “Please enlighten us, can anyone be forced to give up his or her #NobelPeacePrize to someone else? As you may be aware, the President of the United States of America has gleefully accepted the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 awarded to María Corina Machado. We the people would like to know the official stand of the @NobelPeaceOslo committee.”
In closing its intervention, the Norwegian Nobel Institute left little room for ambiguity, stressing that while the physical trappings of the award may circulate, the Nobel Peace Prize itself does not.
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time,” the Institute said, underlining that a medal may change hands, but the honour and responsibility of being a Nobel Peace Prize laureate remain permanently with the original recipient.
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