A French software engineer has won a Pablo Picasso painting worth about €1 million after being selected in a charity raffle held in Paris.
The winner, 59-year-old Ari Hodara, was picked at random from around 120,000 ticket holders during a draw at Christie’s auction house. Each ticket cost €100, and all proceeds from the raffle will go to Alzheimer’s disease research.
Hodara said he was shocked when he received the call confirming his win, saying he never expected to win something so valuable.
The prize painting, titled “Tête de Femme” (Head of a Woman), was painted by Picasso in 1941. The artwork is described as reflecting the difficult mood of the wartime period, while still carrying a sense of hope.
Organisers said this was the third edition of the “1 Picasso for 100 euros” initiative, which allows the public to buy raffle tickets for a chance to win an original Picasso artwork while supporting charity causes.
For the first time, all 120,000 tickets were sold, raising significant funds. A portion of the proceeds goes to the current owner, Opera Gallery, while the remaining funds are donated to the Fondation Recherche Alzheimer in France.
Previous editions of the raffle have also raised millions of euros for various humanitarian and cultural projects, including conservation work and public health initiatives.
Organisers said the initiative continues to combine art, public participation, and charity funding in a unique global fundraising model.
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