A rumor circulating on social media at the end of January 2025 claimed that technology tycoon Elon Musk was nominated for the highest honor, the Nobel Peace Prize. Social media posts lacked verification, but the claim proved to be true. The confirmation came from Slovenian politician Branko Grims, an MEP; indeed, the latter had filed the official nomination of Musk.

Who nominated Elon Musk and why?

Grims announced Musk’s nomination on January 29, sharing a screenshot of an email confirmation from the Nobel Prize organization. In his post on X (formerly Twitter), he stated:

“The proposal that Mr. Elon Musk, for his consistent support for the fundamental human right of freedom of speech and thus for peace, receives the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, was successfully submitted today. Sincere thanks to all the co-proposers and everyone who helped with this challenging project!”

Grims has always been vocal about his admiration for Musk's free speech stance. In December 2024, he told Brussels Signal that he believed Musk had done more to protect this fundamental right than anyone else in modern history. He particularly credited Musk's ownership of X (previously Twitter) and his efforts to reduce censorship on the platform as key reasons for his nomination.

The nomination came after the second inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order establishing the Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency. According to the Associated Press, Musk also donated $200 million to Trump's campaign, although Musk previously denied making political donations in a post on X.

How are Nobel Peace Prize nominees chosen?

The Nobel Prize organization has a formal process of nomination for the Peace Prize. According to its website, anyone who meets the criteria for nomination can submit a name. However, details about nominees remain confidential for 50 years.

There exist a total of hundreds of applicants each year that the Norwegian Nobel Institute records. In 2024, 286 nominations were made with 197 individuals and 89 organizations, the highest number of recorded candidates in 2016 stood at 376 candidates.

Eligible nominators include:

  1. Members of national assemblies and governments
  2. Sitting heads of state
  3. Professors in select academic fields
  4. Past Nobel Prize winners
  5. Current and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee

Applications for nomination are received until January 31, and then the committee screens candidates and narrows the list of potential winners to a few between February and March. It has an independent review panel to determine the final list of candidates. By October, the committee finalizes its choice. Publicly, in December, the Nobel Peace Prize winner is officially announced. 

To date, there is no word of further candidates nominating Musk as well as any statement from the Nobel Committee in that regard. If he were kept on the running list, subsequent analyses would occur during the next several months. Whether or not Musk will receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize remains to be seen, but his very nomination has already caused quite an uproar in social media and far beyond.