French Engineer Wins $1 Million Picasso Painting in Charity Raffle Benefiting Alzheimer's Research

A French engineer, Ari Hodara, 58, won Pablo Picasso's 1941 painting Tête de Femme valued at $1 million through a €100 raffle ticket. The April 14, 2026, raffle at Christie's Paris sold 120,000 tickets, generating €12 million for the Alzheimer's Research Foundation, with €1 million allocated to Opera Gallery, the painting's owner. Organized by television producer Péri Cochin, the initiative leveraged global online access to support Alzheimer's research, France's leading funder since 2004. Cochin's third Picasso raffle, following earlier editions in 2013 and 2020, raised funds for causes like safeguarding Tyre, Lebanon, and CARE's clean water programs in Africa. Claude Picasso, the artist's son who died in 2023, endorsed the concept, noting its alignment with Picasso's commitment to vulnerable populations. Hodara, surprised by the win, plans to keep the painting initially. The foundation will launch a major research call across Europe, the U.S., and Canada post-raffle.