June 17, 2015, Russian Academy of Sciences President Vladimir Fortov gave back James Watson’s Nobel Prize medal Wednesday, in a ceremony in Moscow, six and a half months after the controversial geneticist sold the medal to raise money for various charities and potentially himself. Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov purchased the medal at auction in December with the intention of returning it to Watson.
“The returning of the Nobel Prize medal to James Watson is a wonderful and important event,” Fortov says in a press release emailed to Newsweek. “It is an acknowledgement of the scientist’s achievements and his contribution to global science. I am particularly pleased that this has taken place in Russia, here at the Russian Academy of Sciences, as Russia has a rich history in science and a tradition of philanthropy and patronage. Today’s event confirms once again that science and charity serve all of humanity and know no borders.”
Watson (now 86 years old) won the award in 1953 for his part in the groundbreaking discovery of DNA’s double helix structure. On December 4, he became the first living Nobel laureate to auction off his prize, which sold at Christie’s in New York City for $4,757,000 (including the auction house’s premium, or commission). Usmanov—whom Forbes values at $14.1 billion, as the former richest man in Russia—came forward as the buyer less than a week later, saying he had purchased the prize with the intention of returning it to Watson. Usmanov was not present at Wednesday’s ceremony.
“I am immensely grateful to Mr. Usmanov for such a generous gesture,” Watson says in the Wednesday press release. “It is the highest praise I could receive for my work following the discovery of the structure of DNA.”
Later in his career, Watson devoted his research to cancer treatments. Usmanov, whose father died from the illness, praised the scientist’s contribution to the field. “The situation where an outstanding scientist is forced to sell his medal received as a sign of recognition of his achievements, is totally unacceptable. James Watson is one of the greatest biologists in the history of mankind, and the prize he received for discovering the DNA structure should belong to him “, Usmanov was quoted as saying.
“Dr. Watson’s work contributed to cancer research, the illness from which my father died. It is important for me that the money that I spent on this medal will go to supporting scientific research, and the medal will stay with the person who deserved it. I wouldn’t like the medal of the distinguished scientist to be an object on sale,” Usmanov’s statement said.
