Ari Hodara Wins €1 Million Picasso Painting in €100 Charity Raffle

In a stunning turn of luck, a Paris resident has walked away with a masterpiece valued at one million euros for the price of a single raffle ticket. Ari Hodara, holding ticket #94715, was announced as the winner of the “1 Picasso 100 euros” non-profit raffle during a live draw on April 14, 2026, at Christie’s France in Paris.

The event combined the allure of high-end art with a critical humanitarian mission, offering participants a chance to own a piece of history even as funding vital medical research.

The Winning Masterpiece: Tête de Femme

The prize for the lucky winner is “Tête de Femme” (Head of a Woman), a gouache on paper work painted by Pablo Picasso in 1941. Measuring 38.9 x 25.4 cm (15.3 x 10 in), the artwork is valued at 1 million euros.

The painting was provided through a partnership with the Picasso Estate and Opera Gallery, the latter of which was established by Gilles Dyan in 1994. This third edition of the raffle continues a tradition of making Picasso’s work accessible to a wider audience beyond the ultra-wealthy.

Funding the Fight Against Alzheimer’s

Beyond the excitement of the draw, the raffle served a profound purpose. All proceeds from the ticket sales were donated to the Fondation Recherche Alzheimer, the leading organization in France dedicated to Alzheimer’s disease research. Recognized by the French government as an organization of public benefit, the foundation has already spent 29 million euros on research and supports 195 researchers worldwide.

The funds raised contribute to the IPCAR-2030 (International Collaborative Project for Alzheimer Research). Under this framework, eight separate projects linking French teams with counterparts in North America and Europe will each be allocated a budget of 1 million euros or more over the next three years.

A Tradition of Art for All

The “1 Picasso for 100 euros” campaign is built on the belief that art should be accessible. Olivier Widmaier Picasso, the artist’s grandson and co-owner of the estate, noted that Pablo Picasso was a generous man who often gave paintings to his driver and tailor, suggesting he would have approved of such a raffle.

This is not the first time a Picasso has been awarded this way. Previous editions of the raffle include:

• 2013: A fire-sprinkler worker from Pennsylvania won “Man in the Opera Hat,” painted in 1914.
• 2020: An accountant in Italy won the oil-on-canvas “Nature Morte,” painted in 1921.

Key Takeaways: The 2026 Picasso Raffle

• Winner: Ari Hodara (Paris, France), Ticket #94715.
• The Prize: “Tête de Femme” (1941), valued at €1 million.
• Ticket Cost: €100.
• Beneficiary: Fondation Recherche Alzheimer.
• Draw Location: Christie’s France, Paris.

As the art world celebrates this unique intersection of philanthropy and fine art, the Fondation Recherche Alzheimer continues its mission to combat a disease that affects 35 million people globally. While the tickets for this edition are sold out, the organization continues to seek support for its international research projects.