Sudden surge in online betting on Venezuelan leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, raises suspicions and makes Norwegian authorities open an investigation
Norwegian authorities responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize are investigating reports that online bets on this year’s winner soared overnight, suggesting a possible information leak.
Bets on Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for democracy, increased significantly on the betting site Polymarket just after midnight Norwegian time, according to information from the site itself.
“We are investigating the case,” said Erik Aasheim, spokesman for the Nobel Institute, the executive arm of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, when asked about the news, initially reported by local newspapers Aftenposten and Finansavisen.
FREE LIST
10 small caps to invest in
The list of stocks from promising sectors on the Stock Exchange
The secretive five-member committee reportedly made the decision on Monday, according to previous local media reports. Machado was informed minutes after the announcement, made at 11am in Oslo on Friday.
Three Polymarket accounts that bet mainly on Machado made a combined profit of around $90,000, according to Finansavisen.
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.
