The “1 Picasso for 100 Euros” raffle was a fundraiser for Alzheimer’s research (Credit: 1picasso100euros.com)

A 58-year-old software engineer in Paris, France, turned a $117 (€100) ticket into a Pablo Picasso painting. Ari Hodara learned about the “1 Picasso for 100 Euros” charity raffle during a dinner at a local restaurant. He bought one ticket and promptly forgot about it.

To his surprise, on April 14, 2026, he received a call from Christie’s Auction House saying his ticket had been picked as the winner. Hodara initially thought the call was a prank or a mistake. After checking further, he realized the news was real. He had won an original Pablo Picasso painting! The Spanish artist, who helped create Cubism, is widely considered one of the most influential painters of the 20th century.

Picasso painted the Tête de Femme in 1941 (Credit: 1picasso100euros.com)

Hodara’s prize is a 1941 masterpiece titled Tête de Femme. It means “Head of a Woman” in French. Measuring 15 inches (38 cm) tall and 10 inches (25 cm) wide, it is believed to be a portrait of Dora Maar. She was Picasso’s close friend and artistic partner.

The raffle listed the painting’s value at around $1.1 million. However, some art experts estimate it could be worth as much as $1.7 million. Not surprisingly, Hodara plans to keep the artwork in a secure storage at the auction house.

The “1 Picasso for 100 Euros” raffle began in 2013. The first event raised about $5.6 million to help preserve the ancient Lebanese city of Tyre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A second raffle in 2020 raised almost $6 million for water and sanitation projects in parts of Africa.

The 2020 winner of the raffle poses with his Picasso painting (Credit: 1 picasso100euros.com)

This year’s edition was the biggest raffle yet, with 120,000 tickets sold across 50 countries. The event raised more than $14 million. About $12 million of that will be used to support Alzheimer’s research programs in France.

Alzheimer’s is a brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills. It impacts as many as 40 million people worldwide. Hodara may have won a famous painting. But the real prize is the hope this raffle brings to the families affected by the condition.

Resources: NPR.org, 1picasso100euros.com, Reuters.com