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French professor investigated for awarding himself fake Nobel-style prize
A Besançon-based academic, Florent Montaclair, allegedly invented a Nobel-style prize for philology and a fictitious awarding body to boost his credentials. He received a Gold Medal of Philology in 2016 at a National Assembly ceremony in Paris, but the prize and the awarding body were fake; investigators in Besançon are examining possible legal breaches and his university suspended him. Police searched his home in February 2026 as investigators assess possible legal implications.
Why It Matters
The case raises questions about the credibility of academic honours and how such fabrications could affect a scholar's career. It also underscores the challenge of verifying honorary titles and the potential legal implications.
Timeline
10 Events
May 6, 2026: Article reports ongoing investigation
May 6, 2026
The article published on May 6, 2026 reported that Besançon investigators were examining whether any laws were broken and that prosecutors were considering whether inventing the honours had boosted Montaclair's career.
February 2026: University suspends him indefinitely
February 2026
The university where Montaclair taught for 20 years suspended him indefinitely as investigators probed the affair.
February 2026: Police search Montaclair's house
February 2026
Police searched Montaclair's house in Besançon as investigators began examining whether any laws were broken; during the search Montaclair said, 'I suppose it's about the medal,' and noted he had ordered the medal from a jeweller for about €250.
2025: Truth comes out in context of fake-news discussion
2025
According to the article, 'Only last year' (2025) the truth about the prize came out when Montaclair was due to chair a discussion on fake news; a colleague recalled rumours from Romania.
2019: Reality emerges about the prize and society
2019
The reality emerged in 2019 that the prize and the International Society of Philology did not exist; the revelation passed with little notice in France, while Montaclair continued teaching at the university.
June 2017 awards ceremony in Paris
June 2017
The awards ceremony for the fictitious prize took place in Paris in June 2017.
2017: Chomsky ceremony in Brussels
2017
Later in 2017, Montaclair welcomed Noam Chomsky at a ceremony in Brussels and awarded him an honorary gold medal from the International Society of Philology, a body Montaclair had created.
December 2016 report that he won the prize
December 2016
In December 2016, Montaclair was reported to have won the prize, as part of the fabrication he had created.
Montaclair awarded Gold Medal of Philology (2016)
2016
He was decorated with the Gold Medal of Philology in 2016 at a ceremony held at the National Assembly in Paris, attended by ministers and Nobel laureates.
Montaclair begins inventing Nobel-style prize for philology
2015
According to prosecutor Paul-Edouard Lallois, Florent Montaclair began inventing a Nobel-style prize for philology in 2015, around the time a Besançon newspaper carried a story headlined: 'Local man on shortlist for Nobel'.