Jean-Paul Sartre (Literature, 1964): The French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre declined the Nobel Prize in Literature, stating that he did not want to be institutionalized and that he did not believe in the awarding of prizes. He viewed the Nobel Prize as a bourgeois institution and felt that it would compromise his intellectual independence.
Le Duc Tho (Peace, 1973): Le Duc Tho, a prominent figure in the North Vietnamese delegation during the Vietnam War peace negotiations, declined the Nobel Peace Prize jointly awarded to him and U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. He stated that the conditions for a genuine peace had not yet been met and that he could not accept the prize at a time when the war was still ongoing.
Andrei Sakharov (Peace, 1975): Soviet physicist Andrei Sakharov, known for his human rights activism and criticism of the Soviet government, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975. However, he was unable to travel to Oslo to receive the prize due to restrictions imposed on him by the Soviet authorities. He eventually received the prize in 1989 after his release from internal exile.
George Bernard Shaw (Literature, 1925): Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw initially declined the Nobel Prize in Literature, stating that he did not need the money and that he saw no reason to accept an honor that he believed should go to younger and more deserving writers. However, he later relented and accepted the prize, using the monetary reward to establish a fund to support young playwrights.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have refused the Nobel Prize for their own personal or ideological reasons.