Peter Nobel has stated in public this was an unparalleled example of successful trademark infringement; but it was also much more. Members of the organizations formally tasked with judging the real Nobels were left in the dust as the steamroller passed by. A few notables, such as Professor Sten Friberg, rector of the Karolinska Institute, attempted to speak out in opposition, but to no avail. The bank’s third trick was to extend the strong-arm tactics to its nominal owner, the Swedish state. The Riksbank had wandered very far off reservation by mounting this full-court press to create an ersatz Nobel; some sort of approval was required. A special committee pointed out that the bank’s charter limited it to running a banking service, a printing press, and production of bank paper; anything else would require special legislation. A bill was rushed through Parliament, and votes were held with no public debate whatsoever. On April 11, 1969 the first chamber voted 79 in favor, 20 against and 18 abstaining; on April 16, the second chamber voted 152 in favor, 28 against and 28 abstaining. With this last obstacle removed, it became possible for the Riksbank to construct a Nobel which resembled as much as possible as the real thing.

Dieter Plehwe, Quinn Slobodian & Philip Mirowski (eds.), Nine Lives of Neoliberalism, loc. 469