€100 Ticket, €1M Picasso: Paris Art Enthusiast Wins Masterpiece in Charity Raffle

15 April 2026 | Paris, France

Paris, France – The call came from Christie's auction house. Ari Hodara, a 58-year-old sales engineer, picked up his phone expecting routine news. Instead, he received the kind of announcement that most people only dream about.

"How do I check that it's not a hoax?" Hodara said, his voice still trembling with disbelief.

It was not a hoax. Hodara had just won a Pablo Picasso painting worth over €1 million – with a €100 raffle ticket.

A Chance Discovery Leads to Fortune

Hodara, a self-described art lover, had only purchased the ticket days earlier. He stumbled upon the raffle while dining at a restaurant – a chance encounter that would change his life.

"I saw the advertisement, and I thought, why not?" he recalled. "You never think you will actually win. Especially not something like this."

He was wrong. The ticket in his pocket – a €100 whim – was now the key to a masterpiece.

"First, I will tell the news to my wife," Hodara said, laughing. "Then I will figure out where to hang it." He added that he plans to keep the painting and enjoy the rare masterpiece – not sell it to the highest bidder.

The Picasso Prize: "Head of a Woman"

The raffle's grand prize was "Head of a Woman" (French: "Tête de femme"), painted in 1941 by Pablo Picasso. The artwork depicts his muse and partner Dora Maar – the surrealist photographer and painter who was one of Picasso's most significant romantic and artistic collaborators.

The painting, created during the German occupation of France, reflects a period of intense emotional turmoil in Picasso's life. Maar's distorted features, rendered in Picasso's signature cubist style, capture both strength and sorrow.

The artwork was valued at over €1 million, although its public market price is estimated at around €1.45 million. For Hodara, who never imagined owning an original Picasso, the monetary value is almost secondary.

"It is not about the money," he said. "It is about the art. It is about the history. This painting has seen things I can only imagine."

Charity at the Core: 1 Picasso for €100

This was the third edition of the "1 Picasso for €100" raffle, a unique art lottery organized to support Alzheimer's research. The concept is simple: sell enough €100 tickets to cover the cost of a Picasso, then donate the proceeds to charity.

All 120,000 tickets were sold – every single one. The raffle raised a total of €12 million. Of that, €1 million will go to the Opera Gallery, which owned the painting. The remaining €11 million? Donated to Alzheimer's research, funding critical studies into prevention, treatment, and ultimately, a cure.

"We are overwhelmed by the response," said Péri Cochin, founder of the charity raffle, speaking via video call from Christie's in Paris. "To see people from all walks of life come together – students, retirees, doctors, artists – all united by a €100 ticket and a shared hope to make a difference – it is extraordinary."

A History of Lucky Winners

The raffle has created remarkable stories before. Each edition has produced a winner whose life was transformed by chance and a small investment.

2013: A Pennsylvania worker won "Man in the Opera Hat" – a Picasso painted in 1914. The winner, a maintenance worker who had never traveled to Europe, flew to Paris to claim his prize. "I still can't believe it," he said at the time.

2020: An Italian accountant won "Still Life", gifted through a Christmas ticket purchased by his daughter as a present. "She said, 'Dad, this is your only chance to own a Picasso,'" he recalled. "She was right."

Previous raffles have raised over €10 million for cultural projects in Lebanon and water and hygiene initiatives in Africa. The 2026 edition, focused on Alzheimer's research, is the most ambitious yet – and the most successful.

Why Picasso? The Enduring Appeal

Pablo Picasso remains one of the most valuable and sought-after artists in the global art market. His works regularly sell for tens of millions of dollars at auction. A single painting can fund a hospital, a school, or – in this case – years of Alzheimer's research.

"Picasso is universal," said one art market analyst. "Everyone knows his name. Everyone recognizes his style. When you offer a Picasso in a raffle, people pay attention."

The "1 Picasso for €100" raffle has turned that universal appeal into a fundraising engine. By democratizing access to one of the world's most exclusive artists, the raffle has attracted participants who would never set foot in an auction house – let alone bid on a masterpiece.

The Winner's Reaction: Shock, Joy, Disbelief

When the draw took place at Christie's auction house in Paris, the atmosphere was electric. Péri Cochin stood before the camera, holding the winning ticket number. The room held its breath.

Then came the call.

"I saw the number, and I thought, that looks familiar," Hodara said. "Then I checked my ticket. Then I checked it again. Then I sat down because my legs stopped working."

By the time Cochin appeared on his screen via video call, Hodara was still processing the news. "Is this real?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

Cochin assured him it was. The painting was his. The odds – 1 in 120,000 – had fallen in his favour.

What Happens Next?

Hodara will travel to Paris to collect his painting in the coming weeks. The transfer will be handled by Christie's, with all the security and formality befitting a million-euro masterpiece.

He has already been asked whether he plans to sell it. His answer is firm: no.

"This is not an investment," Hodara said. "This is a treasure. I will look at it every day and remember that sometimes, life surprises you."

For Cochin and the organizers, the work continues. Planning for the fourth edition of "1 Picasso for €100" has already begun. The goal: raise even more money for Alzheimer's research, and give another lucky winner the chance of a lifetime.

The Bottom Line: Art, Chance, and Philanthropy

This extraordinary win highlights the magic of art, chance, and philanthropy coming together. For one Parisian, a simple €100 decision turned into a life-changing moment – and a priceless addition to his collection.

For Alzheimer's research, the raffle raised €11 million – funding that could accelerate breakthroughs. For everyone who bought a ticket and lost, there is always next year.

And for Ari Hodara? He will hang a Picasso on his wall. Not a print. Not a reproduction. An original, painted by the master himself in 1941, in occupied Paris, during the darkest days of the 20th century.

All for €100.

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