Facebook | Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg Donates Her $100,000 Prize Money To New Foundation

Updated September 8, 2021

The 17-year-old climate activist Greta Thunberg received many accolades in 2019, including being named Time magazine's Person of the Year and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Although the teen didn't win the Nobel, she was one of four recipients of the 2019 Right Livelihood Award, which is sometimes referred to as the "alternative Nobel."

The Right Livelihood Award, established in 1980, is awarded to "honor and support courageous people solving global problems," and it comes with an prize of one million Swedish kronor (about $100,000).

Now, that's obviously a lot of money for a 17-year-old, but Thunberg has figured out what to do with it.

Instagram | @gretathunberg

And no, she's not buying a Tesla. Instead, she has announced she'll be using the funds to set up the Greta Thunberg Foundation, Reuters reported.

The award's executives welcomed the move, saying "We are convinced that Thunberg's new foundation will have a great impact and empower much-needed change."

The purpose of the foundation will be "to promote ecological and social sustainability, as well as mental health."

Facebook | Greta Thunberg

It will also provide Thunberg with a transparent way to handle income from such things as award prizes, donations, and book royalties.

Although Thunberg has yet to write a book, she has received numerous awards, and the Nobel — which she has been nominated for again in 2020 —will carry with it a much larger prize, should she win this time around.

Thunberg has already had to trademark "Fridays for Future."

Facebook | Greta Thunberg

The slogan that made her a household name, along with her "School Strike for Climate" was being co-opted for commercial use without her knowledge, sometimes by impostors or those claiming to represent her, she explained in an Instagram post.

"It happens, for instance, in marketing, selling of products and people collecting money in my and the movement's name," she wrote.

h/t: Reuters, CTV