The market value of the Nobel Foundation’s total invested capital amounted to SEK 6,233 m (5,799) at the end of 2023. Excluding the value of the Foundation’s directly owned properties, investment capital amounted to SEK 6,041 m (5,515). This generated a return of +10.7 (−2.0) per cent during 2023. During the past five years, investment capital rose by 10.2 per cent annually. During the past ten years, investment capital rose by 8.7 per cent annually.
The Nobel Foundation is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the intentions of the will of Alfred Nobel are fulfilled. The main mission of the Foundation is to manage the assets left behind by Nobel, as well as the extensive intellectual property related to the Nobel Prize.
The institutions that Alfred Nobel designated in his will to select laureates choose the Trustees of the Nobel Foundation. The most important task of the Trustees is to appoint the Nobel Foundation’s Board of Directors and to examine the Nobel Foundation’s financial statements. At the meeting of the Trustees on Friday, 26 April 2024, the Nobel Foundation’s 2023 financial statements were presented.
The objective of the Nobel Foundation’s investment activities is to achieve a sufficiently high return over time to maintain the financial base of the Nobel Prize and guarantee the independence of the work of the Prize Committees in selecting the laureates. In addition, the Nobel Foundation aims to manage its assets in a way that considers long-term sustainable development and to otherwise follow good ethical principles in its investment activities. The Nobel Foundation continued its work with responsible investments, mainly via its asset managers.
Investment capital exposure was 52 (53) per cent equity funds, 9 (9) per cent property and infrastructure funds, 17 (17) per cent fixed income assets and cash, 20 (22) per cent alternative assets and 2 (0) per cent accrued currency hedging gains.
Other information
For the Nobel Foundation’s guidelines concerning responsible investments, click here
The Nobel Foundation’s Annual Report for 2023 and an Annual Review are found here