An engineer living in Paris has won an original Pablo Picasso painting valued at over €1m after entering a charity raffle.
Ari Hodara, 58, learned of his win on Tuesday during a video call from the Christie's auction house in Paris, according to BBC News.
He was selected from a pool of more than 120,000 ticket-buyers worldwide. Each participant paid €100 to enter the draw, which raised approximately €11m for Alzheimer's research.
"How do I know this isn't a prank?" Hodara asked when he was first notified of the win, the outlet reported.
A legacy of fundraising
The prize, titledTête de Femme(Head of a Woman), is a 1941 work by the Spanish master. It features a portrait of his partner and muse, the French surrealist artist Dora Maar.
Hodara, an art enthusiast, admitted he did not expect to win the competition. "I was surprised, that's it," he said during the call with auctioneers. "When you bet on this, you don't expect to win... But I'm very happy because I'm very interested in painting, and it's great news for me."
Organizers noted that Hodara’s ticket, number 94,715, was purchased over the weekend.
French journalist Peri Cochin, who organized the raffle with support from the Picasso family and foundation, expressed satisfaction that the winner is local.
"It's going to be very easy for us to deliver the painting, so we're happy," Cochin said.
Of the total funds raised, €1m will go to the painting's owner, the Opera Gallery. The remaining proceeds are earmarked for France's Alzheimer's Research Foundation.
Olivier de Ladoucette, head of the foundation, stated that the initiative serves as a "building block" toward a future where Alzheimer's is no longer a threat, according to AFP.
This marks the third edition of the "1 Picasso for 100 euros" raffle, a series founded in 2013. Previous winners have included a 25-year-old from Pennsylvania and a 58-year-old Italian accountant, with proceeds benefiting global heritage and sanitation projects.
