When Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado handed US President Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal this week, the gesture was heavy on symbolism and light on clarity. Was Trump being “given” a Nobel? Can such a prize be passed on? And what exactly does ownership of the medal mean?Here is how the rules, precedents and the Nobel establishment itself explain it.

What happened in Washington?

Machado presented Trump with the medal she received after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year. Trump publicly praised her, calling her a “wonderful woman”, and described the act as one of mutual respect. The White House later confirmed that Trump intends to keep the medal.The timing was politically loaded. The meeting came days after US military action in Venezuela led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. While the intervention briefly elevated Machado’s profile as a leading opposition figure, Trump soon distanced himself from backing her as Venezuela’s future leader, citing doubts about her domestic support.

Can a Nobel Prize be transferred or shared?

No.The Nobel Peace Prize itself cannot be transferred, shared, reassigned or revoked. The status of Nobel laureate is personal and permanent. Machado remains the sole winner of the prize regardless of who physically holds the medal.Trump holding the medal does not make him a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, nor does it associate him formally with the award.

What Nobel Peace Centre says

The Nobel Peace Center has directly addressed the confusion around Nobel medals and ownership. In a post explaining the medal’s history and symbolism, the Centre noted that the Nobel Peace Prize medal measures 6.6 cm in diameter, weighs 196 grams, and is struck in gold. One side bears a portrait of Alfred Nobel, while the reverse shows three naked men holding each other’s shoulders as a symbol of brotherhood, a design unchanged for 120 years.Crucially, the Centre clarified that Nobel medals have, on several occasions, changed hands after being awarded. One prominent example is journalist Dmitry Muratov’s medal, which was auctioned for more than $100 million to support refugees from the war in Ukraine. Another detail often overlooked is that the medal displayed at the Nobel Peace Center itself is on loan and originally belonged to Christian Lous Lange, Norway’s first Peace Prize laureate.However, the Centre underlined a non-negotiable principle set by the Norwegian Nobel Committee: once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred. That decision stands for all time. A medal can change owners, but the title of Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.

So what did Machado actually give Trump?

She gave him the physical medal, not the prize.Once awarded, the medal becomes the personal property of the laureate. While the honour and title are non-transferable, the object itself can be gifted, loaned or displayed by someone else. That distinction explains why Machado’s gesture is legally possible but institutionally meaningless.

Can the medal be sold?

Yes, at least in principle.Several Nobel Peace Prize medals have been sold at auction over the years, sometimes for extraordinary sums. Prices vary widely depending on the individual and the context, with the most prominent sales usually framed as charitable acts rather than personal profit.Modern Nobel medals are made from 18-carat recycled gold, giving them intrinsic material value alongside their symbolic importance. But selling the medal does not transfer Nobel status. Buyers acquire a historical artefact, not the honour itself.

Could Trump sell this medal?

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, center, leaves the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

That remains unclear. If the medal was gifted without restrictions, Trump could theoretically sell it as personal property. But such a move would almost certainly provoke political and ethical backlash. Previous high-profile sales were tied to humanitarian causes, not personal enrichment.There is also lingering uncertainty over whether the medal presented to Trump was the original Nobel medal or a symbolic presentation copy, a detail that has not been publicly clarified.

Why does this matter?

Because Trump has long expressed frustration at never receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, often arguing that his diplomatic efforts were overlooked. Machado’s gesture tapped directly into that grievance, turning the Nobel into a piece of political theatre at a volatile geopolitical moment.

The bottom line

Ergo, Trump can be handed the Nobel Peace Prize by Machado but in the eyes of the Nobel Committee, Machado remains the recipent.