A man in Paris has won a $1 million Pablo Picasso painting through a charity raffle—but at first, he thought the news was a scam.
Ari Hodara, 58, secured the prize after buying a €100 (about $117) ticket for a chance to own one of Picasso’s works. The draw was held at Christie's in Paris as part of a global fundraising campaign.
When organizers contacted him, Hodara’s first reaction was disbelief. “How do I know this isn’t a hoax?” he reportedly asked.
The winning piece, Head of a Woman, was created in 1941 and features Dora Maar, Picasso’s muse and partner. The raffle sold all 120,000 tickets worldwide, raising around €12 million (about $14 million) for Alzheimer’s research.
Hodara, an art enthusiast, said he came across the raffle by chance while dining at a restaurant and decided to take part. He now plans to keep the painting, making an unexpected moment of luck turn into a life-changing win.