A Parisian art enthusiast was pleasantly surprised to discover on Tuesday that he had won a Pablo Picasso painting valued at over $1 million in a raffle. Ari Hodara, 58, expressed disbelief and questioned the authenticity of the win when organizers contacted him post the draw at Christie’s auction house in Paris.

Hodara, a self-proclaimed art amateur with a fondness for Picasso, stumbled upon the charity raffle by chance during a meal at a restaurant over the weekend and decided to purchase a ticket. He plans to first share the news with his wife, who is yet to return from work, and intends to keep the painting for the time being.

The artwork, titled Picasso’s Head of a Woman, is a portrait of the artist’s longtime muse and partner, Dora Maar, created in 1941. The raffle, known as “1 Picasso for 100 euros,” offered participants the opportunity to win a piece by the renowned Spanish painter in support of Alzheimer’s research.

The online draw, which featured the painting by the Spanish master, aimed to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research. All 120,000 tickets were sold globally, generating a total of 12 million euros ($19.5 million). One million euros will be donated to the Opera Gallery, an international art dealership that owned the painting.

Gilles Dyan, the gallery’s founder, disclosed offering a discounted price for the artwork, which has a public value of 1.45 million euros ($2.35 million). The initiative, organized by the Alzheimer Research Foundation, a prominent charity based in a leading Paris hospital, has emerged as a key private supporter of Alzheimer-related medical research in France since its establishment in 2004.

Notably, the previous two Picasso raffles raised over 10 million euros collectively, contributing to cultural initiatives in Lebanon and water and hygiene projects in Africa. The success of these charitable events underscores the significant impact of art in supporting noble causes globally.