NEW YORK (AP) – The Nobel Peace Prize winner Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov was auctioning off to raise money for Ukrainian refugee children sold for $ 103.5 million Monday night, breaking an old Nobel record.
A spokesman for Heritage Auctions, which handled the sale, could not confirm the identity of the buyer, but said the winning bid was made for power. The sale of 103.5 million dollars translates into 100 million Swiss francs, which suggests that the buyer is from abroad.
The live auction took place on World Refugee Day. Previously, the highest paid for a Nobel Prize medal was $ 4.76 million in 2014, when James Watson, the co-discovery of the structure of DNA earned him a Nobel Prize in 1962, sold his.
Three years later, the family of its co-recipient, Francis Crick, received $ 2.27 million in tenders also managed by Heritage Auctions.
Muratov, who received the gold medal in October 2021, helped found the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta and was the editor-in-chief of the publication when it closed in March amid Kremlin crackdown on journalists and public dissent following the invasion of Russia. of Ukraine.
It was Muratov’s idea to auction off his prize, as he had already announced that he was giving away the $ 500,000 cash prize that accompanies him to a charity. The idea of the donation, he said, “is to give refugee children a chance at a future.”
Muratov said the benefits would go directly to UNICEF in its efforts to help children displaced by the war in Ukraine.
Basically, the 175 grams of 23-carat gold contained in Muratov’s medal would be worth about $ 10,000.
In an interview with The Associated Press ahead of the auction, Muratov said he was especially concerned about children who have been orphaned due to the conflict in Ukraine.
“We want to give back their future,” he said.
He added that major international sanctions imposed on Russia do not prevent humanitarian aid, such as medicine for rare diseases and bone marrow transplants, from reaching people in need.
“It should become the start of a flash mob as an example to follow because people are auctioning off their valuable possessions to help Ukrainians,” Muratov said in a video released by Heritage Auctions, which managed the sale. but no part of the revenue is taken away. .
Muratov shared the Nobel Peace Prize last year with Filipino journalist Maria Ressa.
The two journalists, who each received their own medals, were honored for their battles to preserve freedom of expression in their respective countries, despite being attacked by harassment, their governments and even death threats. .
Muratov has been highly critical of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the war launched in February that forced nearly 5 million Ukrainians to flee to other countries for security, creating the biggest humanitarian crisis in Russia. Europe since World War II.
Independent journalists in Russia have been under scrutiny by the Kremlin, if not direct targets of the government. Since Putin came to power more than two decades ago, nearly two dozen journalists have been killed, including at least four who had worked for Muratov’s newspaper.
In April, Muratov said he was attacked with red paint while aboard a Russian train.
Muratov left Russia for Western Europe on Thursday to begin his trip to New York City, where live bidding began on Monday evening.
Online offerings began on June 1, coinciding with the celebration of International Children’s Day.
In the early hours of Monday, the high bid was only $ 550,000. The purchase price was expected to spiral up, but may not exceed $ 100 million.
“It’s a very tailor-made deal,” said Joshua Benesh, director of strategy at Heritage Auctions. “Not everyone in the world has a Nobel Prize to auction and not every day of the week there is a Nobel Prize going through the auction block.”
Since its inception in 1901, there have been nearly 1,000 Nobel Prize winners in honor of achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and peace progress.
The ongoing war and international humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of those affected in Ukraine are bound to arouse interest, Benesh said, adding that it is difficult to predict how much someone would be willing to pay for the medal.
“I think there will definitely be some excitement on Monday,” Benesh said. “It is such a unique item that it is sold in unique circumstances … an act of great generosity and such an important humanitarian crisis.”
Muratov and Heritage officials said that even those who do not participate in the tender can still help by making a donation directly to UNICEF.
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Associated Press writer Andrew Katell contributed to this report.