Machado, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Gifts Medal to Trump
Nobel Committee: "Laureate Title Remains Unchanged"
Is it permissible to 'gift' a Nobel medal? Machado sparks controversy after giving hers to Trump. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has stirred controversy after it was revealed that she gifted her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump. The appropriateness of transferring a Nobel medal to another person is now under debate. On January 16, Yonhap News, citing The New York Times (NYT) and Reuters, reported that criticism has emerged over Machado's decision to present the medal to President Trump, with some calling it a political maneuver.
Ana Corina Sosa, daughter of Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, receiving the award on behalf of her mother at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony held at Oslo City Hall, Norway, on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. Photo by AP Yonhap News
First, the Nobel Committee does not prohibit the transfer of ownership of the medal itself. However, it makes clear that the laureate status can never be transferred. In a statement, the Nobel Committee said, "The decision to award a Nobel Prize is final and permanent, and the title of laureate does not change even if the ownership of the medal does." In fact, there have been previous cases where a Nobel medal was separated from its original recipient, as in this instance.
For example, in 1920, Norwegian author Knut Hamsun, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature, sided with the Nazis during World War II and gifted his medal to Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels. This act left an indelible stain on his legacy. In contrast, there have also been transfers for humanitarian purposes. In 2021, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, auctioned off his medal for $103.5 million (about 152.5 billion won), donating all proceeds through UNICEF to support children affected by the war in Ukraine.
There have also been cases of medal transactions in the scientific community. In 1962, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine laureate James Watson put his medal up for auction due to personal circumstances, and the winning bidder later announced plans to return it to Watson, drawing public attention. Additionally, Nobel medals have changed hands through theft, donation, and recovery. For instance, the medals of Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin Ebadi and Indian child labor activist Kailash Satyarthi were stolen but later returned.
However, experts point out that Machado's case differs from a simple personal disposition. Asle Sveen, formerly of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, told the NYT, "This is the dedication of a Nobel symbol to a highly controversial political leader," adding, "Norwegian society widely perceives President Trump as undermining liberal democracy." Norwegian media have also expressed concern that the Nobel Prize could be used as a political tool to justify military intervention in Venezuela, thereby damaging the award's prestige. Amid these concerns, the Norwegian Nobel Institute reiterated, "While the medal may change hands, the status of Nobel Peace Prize laureate can never be shared or transferred."
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