Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Oscar statuette costs $400, but winners can't just sell it

Oscars blend prestige with mystery and controversy, evolving from a modest 1929 ceremony into a billion-dollar industry underpinned by fierce campaigns and opaque traditions. Across articles, the statuette's value is largely symbolic: about $400 to make, with tens of millions spent on campaigns, and post-1951 winners must offer the statue to the Academy for $1 before disposal.