The Nobel Peace Prize is inextricably linked to its laureate and even after its transfer remains the property of its original owner, the Norwegian Nobel Committee's press service said after Venezuelan María Machado presented her 2025 Peace Prize to US President Donald Trump.
“The prize itself - the honor and recognition - remains inextricably linked to the person or organization designated by the Norwegian Nobel Committee as the laureate“, the statement said.
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate receives two key symbols of the prize: a gold medal and a diploma. In addition, he receives a separate cash prize.
“Regardless of what may happen to the medal, diploma or cash prize, the original laureate remains in history as its recipient.“ “Even if the medal or diploma later changes hands, this does not change the identity of the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize,“ the committee noted.
As the press release emphasizes, the laureate cannot share the prize with others or transfer it once it has been announced. The Nobel Prize also cannot be revoked, as the decision is final and “valid for all time“.
At the same time, the committee clarified, the Nobel Foundation does not limit what the laureate can do with the medal, diploma or cash prize. “This means that the laureate is free to keep them, give them away, sell them or donate them“, the committee explained.
A number of Nobel Prizes are on display in museums around the world, and some laureates have chosen to give away or sell their awards. For example, after the death of Kofi Annan, who received the Peace Prize in 2001, his widow, Nain Annan, donated the medal and diploma to the United Nations Office at Geneva. As Annan explained, she wanted her husband's legacy to continue to inspire future generations.
In October 2025, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for her efforts to advance democracy in Venezuela“. Trump was also nominated but did not receive the award.
Later, on January 6, Machado announced her willingness to present the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump. "Since this is a prize from the Venezuelan people, we certainly want to give it to him and share it with him," she said.
The Venezuelan opposition leader presented Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal during their meeting at the White House on January 16. In response, he called her "a wonderful woman who has been through so much."
The US president said he did not support Machado taking over the presidency after Maduro was removed. Trump expressed his belief that Machado would not be able to effectively govern the country due to a lack of broad popular support.
According to The Washington Post, one of the reasons Trump did not support Machado was her awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. According to the source, if Machado had refused the award in favor of Trump, she would probably already be president of Venezuela.
The US president said that Machado “does not deserve this award”, but stressed that the decision to support Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who succeeded Maduro after her kidnapping, and not the Venezuelan opposition, was based solely on other factors.