Paris engineer wins $1.2M Picasso painting in charity raffle

A software engineer from Paris, France, won a Picasso painting worth over €1 million ($1.2 million) on Tuesday after entering a €100 ($120) charity raffle supporting Alzheimer’s research.

Ari Hodara, 58, said he initially questioned the legitimacy of his win when he received a video call from Christie’s auction house informing him that he had secured the 1941 artwork. “How do I check that it’s not a hoax?” he asked upon hearing the news.

Describing himself as an art enthusiast with a particular interest in Picasso, Hodara said he had purchased the ticket spontaneously over the weekend after learning about the raffle while dining out.

“First, I will tell the news to my wife, who has yet to return from work,” he said. “And at first I think I’ll take advantage of it and keep it.”

The initiative, titled “1 Picasso for €100,” marks its third edition and aims to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. This year’s prize was ‘Head of a Woman,’ a 1941 portrait of Dora Maar, one of Picasso’s most prominent muses.

Organizers reported that all 120,000 tickets were sold, generating €12 million in total. Of that amount, €1 million will go to Opera Gallery, which previously owned the painting. Gallery founder Gilles Dyan said the artwork had been offered at a reduced rate compared to its public valuation.

Picasso’s grandson, Olivier, said the project aligns with the artist’s legacy of quiet generosity.

“My grandfather was very generous, but he was also discreet,” he said. “He helped his family, especially my grandmother Marie-Thérèse [Walter]. He helped friends. He helped people in need during the civil war in Spain, during the Second World War and even after in the 1950s and 1960s.

“So for me, this project is an absolutely logical and legitimate part of his legacy. I hope in the future to be able to do this every year if possible.”

The raffle concept was developed by French television producer Peri Cochin, who aimed to create a global draw centered around an iconic artwork.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be great to do a worldwide raffle by selling tickets online? I decided it should be a piece of art, and what is the most famous name in art? Obviously, it’s Picasso,” she said.

Olivier Picasso also highlighted the historical and emotional context of the painting, noting it was created during a turbulent period marked by personal and political challenges.

“The period was important for my grandfather because he was at the end of a process to divorce his first wife, Olga Khokhlova — a divorce that never happened because Franco abolished the divorce law in 1939 — despite meeting my grandmother and Dora Maar.

“The period was also very complicated because of the occupation of Paris by the Nazis. And so the colors are darker than usual, with brown, black and gray. While it’s a beautiful depiction of a woman, there is still the ambiance of Picasso. My grandfather kept the painting as a souvenir of the moment,” he said.

Previous editions of the raffle also drew global attention, awarding Picasso works to winners in the United States in 2013 and Italy in 2020. Together, the earlier campaigns raised over €10 million ($12 million) for cultural and humanitarian projects in Lebanon and across Africa.