How Much Is the Nobel Prize Worth?

How much is a Nobel Prize worth? The design on the Nobel Prize medal varies, but each modern medal is 18 carat green gold plated with 24 carat gold, making it worth over $10,000.
How much is a Nobel Prize worth? The design on the Nobel Prize medal varies, but each modern medal is 18 carat green gold plated with 24 carat gold, making it worth over $10,000.

Jonathunder
By
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D.
Chemistry Expert
  • Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College
Dr. Helmenstine holds a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences and is a science writer, educator, and consultant. She has taught science courses at the high school, college, and graduate levels.
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Updated on November 20, 2018

The Nobel Prize honors scientific research, writing and actions that the Nobel Foundation feels exemplify service to humanity. The Nobel Prize comes with a diploma, medal, and cash award. Here is a look at how much the Nobel Prize is worth.

Each year the Nobel Foundation decides on the cash prize awarded to each Nobel laureate. The cash prize is 8 million SEK (about US$1.1 million or €1.16 million). Sometimes this goes to a single individual or the prize may be split between two or three recipients.

The exact weight of a Nobel medal varies, but each medal is 18 karats green gold plated with 24 karats (pure) gold, with an average weight of around 175 grams. Back in 2012, 175 grams of gold was worth $9,975. The modern Nobel Prize medal is worth in excess of $10,000!

The Nobel Prize medal may be worth even more than its weight in gold if the medal goes up for auction. In 2015, Nobel laureate Leon Max Lederman's Nobel prize sold at auction for $765,000. Lederman's family used the money to pay for medical bills associated with the scientist's battle with dementia.

The Nobel Prize garners prestige that translates into value for the university or institution affiliated with the laureate. The schools and companies are more competitive for grants, better equipped at fund raisers and attract students and brilliant researchers. A 2008 study published in the Journal of Health Economics even indicates Nobel Laureates live one to two years longer than their peers.

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Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How Much Is the Nobel Prize Worth?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 28, 2020, thoughtco.com/monetary-value-of-the-nobel-prize-608598. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. (2020, August 28). How Much Is the Nobel Prize Worth? Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/monetary-value-of-the-nobel-prize-608598 Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "How Much Is the Nobel Prize Worth?" ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/monetary-value-of-the-nobel-prize-608598 (accessed June 7, 2023).