A 58-year-old commercial engineer from Paris has unexpectedly become the owner of a masterpiece by Pablo Picasso after winning a high-stakes charity raffle. Ari Hodara, the lucky ticket holder, secured the artwork through a lottery that saw Christie’s auction house in the French capital serve as the venue for the official drawing, conducted under the supervision of a notary.
The prize, a 1941 gouache on paper titled Tête de femme (Head of a Woman), is valued at 1.4 million euros. The piece is a portrait of the photographer Dora Maar, who was Picasso’s partner and muse during the period the work was created. For Hodara, the realization of the win came via a phone call from the auction house that initially felt like a prank, until he saw his winning number—94,715—projected on a screen during a live social media broadcast.
This extraordinary event was part of a larger philanthropic effort known as “Un Picasso por cien euros,” where 120,000 tickets were sold at 100 euros each. The initiative has successfully turned a piece of art history into a significant financial engine for medical research, raising a total of 12 million euros.
Funding the Fight Against Alzheimer’s
The financial impact of the raffle extends far beyond the excitement of the individual winner. According to Péri Cochin, the French-Lebanese television producer who conceived the idea, the funds are being strategically divided to maximize their social utility. Even as approximately one million euros will be used to pay the Opera Gallery—the original owner of the painting—at a preferential price, the remaining 11 million euros are earmarked for the Fondation Recherche Alzheimer.
This substantial donation is expected to catalyze a leap in scientific understanding of the disease. The foundation plans to use the capital to finance five distinct research projects. These initiatives are designed to cover a broad spectrum of the pathology, including:
- The study of genetic factors contributing to the onset of the disease.
- The identification and analysis of biomarkers for earlier diagnosis.
- The exploration of new therapeutic possibilities and treatment protocols.
Dr. Olivier de Ladoucette, president of the organization, described the concept of a “planetary raffle with a unique prize” as a brilliant mechanism for fundraising. By using a Picasso—an artist with universal recognition—as the draw, the organizers are able to attract a global pool of participants, ensuring that each edition of the raffle can support a different humanitarian or scientific cause.
A History of “Planetary Raffles”
The recent win by Ari Hodara is the third major success in a series of high-profile art lotteries. Each event has followed a similar pattern: a high-value Picasso work is offered as the sole prize to raise millions for a specific beneficiary. The scale of these events demonstrates a unique intersection of the luxury art market and global philanthropy.
| Year | Artwork | Amount Raised | Beneficiary | Winner’s Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | El hombre con chistera | 4.8 million euros | International Association to Save Tyre | Pennsylvania, USA |
| 2020 | Naturaleza muerta | 5.1 million euros | NGO Care | Italy |
| Current | Tête de femme | 12 million euros | Fondation Recherche Alzheimer | Paris, France |
The 2013 edition focused on the reconstruction of Tyre, a Lebanese city and UNESCO World Heritage site, while the 2020 drawing benefited the international humanitarian agency Care. In that instance, the winner was an Italian accountant who had received her ticket as a Christmas gift from her son, echoing the sense of serendipity that Hodara experienced this year.
From the Gallery to the Living Room
For Ari Hodara, the transition from a commercial engineer to a Picasso owner was swift. He admitted that he bought the ticket after seeing the charitable initiative on a television program, noting that when participating in such bets, one does not typically expect to win. Despite the painting’s immense market value and its historical significance as a study of Dora Maar, Hodara’s plans for the work are refreshingly domestic: he has already decided that the painting will hang in his living room.
The use of gouache on paper in Tête de femme marks a specific era of Picasso’s stylistic evolution during the 1940s, blending the intimacy of a portrait with the bold experimentation that defined his middle period. The fact that such a work is now in a private residence via a 100-euro ticket highlights the democratic—if lucky—nature of this specific fundraising model.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding Alzheimer’s disease or financial advice regarding art investment.
The next phase for the Fondation Recherche Alzheimer involves the formal allocation of the 11 million euros to the five selected research projects. The foundation is expected to provide updates on the progress of these genetic and biomarker studies as the funded research reaches its first milestones.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts on this unique blend of art and philanthropy in the comments below. Did the idea of a “planetary raffle” surprise you? Let us know.
