- By Shibra Arshad
- Fri, 16 Jan 2026 11:23 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
Nobel Peace Prize Rules: As the opposition leader of Venezuela, María Corina Machado, presented her Nobel Peace Prize to the President of the United States, Donald Trump, a key question ariseswhether the Nobel Prize can be shared or transferred.
Machado presented her award to Trump at a private meeting between the two on Thursday, which came weeks after US forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and charged him in a drug-trafficking case.
“Two hundred years in history, the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington a medal — in this case, the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom,” she said.
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After meeting Machado, Trump wrote on Truth Social, “It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!”.
Can The Nobel Prize Be Transferred?
While Machado said that she offers her award to Trump, the Nobel committee has strict rules about whether prizes conferred can be transferred to others.
Explaining the rules of transferring the prize, the Nobel Peace Centre wrote a long post on the social media platform X. According to the centre’s post on X, the prize cannot be shared or transferred.
The post mentioned an anecdote when the Nobel Prize medal was passed on after it was conferred. The post stated that one of the examples of a prize being passed on is Dmitry Muratov’s medal, which was auctioned for over USD 100 million to support refugees from the war in Ukraine.
The #NobelPeacePrize medal.
— Nobel Peace Center (@NobelPeaceOslo) January 15, 2026
It measures 6.6 cm in diameter, weighs 196 grams and is struck in gold. On its face, a portrait of Alfred Nobel and on its reverse, three naked men holding around each other’s shoulders as a sign of brotherhood. A design unchanged for 120 years.
Did… pic.twitter.com/Jdjgf3Ud2A
“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 post added, clarifying that the prize cannot be transferred.
Maria Corina Machado was conferred Nobel Peace Prize 2025, ‘for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy’, as per Nobelprize.org