Man left stunned after winning Picasso painting in raffle

A Parisian man could not believe his luck when he found out he had won a Pablo Picasso painting worth one million dollars (£736,000) with a 117 dollar (£86) raffle ticket.

“How do I check that it’s not a hoax?” said Ari Hodara, 58, after organisers called him following the draw at Christie’s auction house in the French capital.

“First, I will tell the news to my wife, who has yet to return from work,” said Mr Hodara, a sales engineer. “And at first, I think I’ll take advantage of it and keep it.”

The third iteration of the “One Picasso for 100 euros” lottery was for Picasso’s Head Of A Woman, a portrait of Picasso’s longtime muse and partner Dora Maar. It was painted by the artist in 1941.

The online draw offered the chance to win a portrait by the Spanish artist in aid of Alzheimer’s research.

Organisers said all 120,000 tickets were sold worldwide.