The Nobel Prize and the Laureate Are Inseparable
This implies that a laureate cannot legitimately give or pass the Nobel Peace Prize to another person, including Donald Trump.
The medal and diploma symbolize the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to an individual or organization. These items reflect the honor and recognition tied to the laureate, as designated by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
The laureate receives a gold medal and a diploma along with prize money, which is awarded separately. Ownership or possession of these items by others does not change the identity of the original awardee recorded in history. The Nobel Peace Prize cannot be shared, transferred, or revoked after being announced—the decision is final and everlasting.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee refrains from engaging in daily commentary on laureates or their political processes. The award is based on the laureate's achievements at the time of the decision. The committee does not comment on subsequent actions or statements by laureates, who bear sole responsibility for their ongoing decisions.
According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, laureates have no restrictions on what they can do with the medal, diploma, or prize money. Laureates are free to keep, sell, donate, or gift these items.
Several Nobel medals are displayed in museums or have been sold or donated:
- Kofi Annan (Peace Prize 2001): His medal and diploma were donated to the United Nations Office in Geneva in 2024 by his widow, Nane Annan, to inspire future generations.
- Christian Lous Lange (Peace Prize 1921): His medal, on long-term loan from his family, has been displayed at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo since 2005.
- Dmitry Muratov (Peace Prize 2021): Sold his medal for $103.5 million in 2022, donating the amount to UNICEF’s fund for Ukrainian refugee children—the highest price ever paid for a Nobel Prize medal.
- David Thouless (Physics Prize 2016): His medal was donated to Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge, to inspire students.
- James Watson (Medicine Prize 1962): Auctioned his medal in 2014 for $4.76 million. Part of the proceeds was used for research. Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov purchased and returned the medal to Watson.
- Leon Lederman (Physics Prize 1988): Sold his medal in 2015 for $765,002 to cover medical expenses related to dementia.
- Knut Hamsun (Literature Prize 1920): Gifted his medal to Joseph Goebbels in 1943 after meeting him in Germany. The whereabouts of the medal are currently unknown.
Facts about the Gold Medal
The medal, cast in 18-carat gold, weighs 196 grams and measures 6.6 cm in diameter. Designed by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland in 1901, its obverse features Alfred Nobel’s portrait, while the reverse shows three naked men embracing, symbolizing fraternity, with the Latin inscription "pro pace."
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