1 Picasso for 100 Euros
1 Picasso for 100 Euros (1 Picasso pour 100 euros) funds charitable projects by hosting raffles where the prize is a painting by Pablo Picasso.
History
[edit]The raffle was founded by French journalist and television producer Péri Cochin, who wanted to create a raffle to help fund projects by the International Association to Save Tyre in Lebanon. Cochin contacted Olivier Picasso, a grandson of Pablo Picasso, to search for a usable painting. The two found the painting L'Homme au Gibus (Man with Opera Hat) and then waited two years before the French government granted them permission to run the raffle.[1][2]
The first raffle, held in coordination with the Picasso estate and administration, occurred on 18 December 2013, at Sotheby's in Paris. It was expected to give the charity €4,000,000 in gross profit.[1][3] 50,000 tickets were issued, then the maximum under French law, at €100 (US$135 as of 2013) each.[4] The winner was an American, Jeffrey Gonano, who bought a ticket as he wanted a picture to hang on his wall.[2] The Carnegie Museum of Art accepted the painting on his behalf and sent it to Christie's in Manhattan, where it remains as of April 2026[update].[5]
After a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the second raffle was held on 20 May 2020. More than 51,000 tickets were sold, with €4.2 million raised for CARE International to fund clean-water projects in Cameroon, Madagascar and Morocco.[6] It was organized by Aider les Autres, who wanted to make the raffle a yearly event.[7] The painting, Nature morte, was won by Claudia Borgogno, an Italian accountant whose son bought her a ticket.[8]
The third raffle was held on 14 April 2026 to raise funds for Fondation Recherche Alzheimer, a French organization for Alzheimer's disease research. The raffle sold all 120,000 of its tickets, raising €11 million.[9] The painting, Tête de femme, was won by Ari Hodara, a software salesman from Paris who had bought two tickets.[5]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Adler, Margot (25 October 2013). "Forget the Lottery; You Have Better Odds of Winning This Picasso". National Public Radio. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- 1 2 "Man wins million-dollar Picasso painting in a raffle". BBC News. 19 December 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ Hampton, Olivia (25 March 2026). "A Pablo Picasso painting is offered for 100 euros in charity raffle". National Public Radio. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- ↑ Puente, Maria (2 December 2013). "Win a $1 million Picasso for $135 in first-ever raffle". USA Today. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
- 1 2 Taylor, Derrick Bryson (15 April 2026). "Paris Man Wins $1.2 Million Picasso Painting in Charity Raffle". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
- ↑ Pineau, Elizabeth (20 May 2020). "Italian woman wins Picasso painting in French charity raffle". Retrieved 16 April 2026.
- ↑ Wang, Ya Chun (20 May 2020). "Woman wins $1.1 million Picasso at a raffle". CNN. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
- ↑ "Italian woman wins €1m Picasso in Christmas raffle". The Guardian. Associated Press. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
- ↑ Darwish, Elissa (14 April 2026). "Frenchman scoops up 1 million euro Picasso painting in Paris raffle". Retrieved 16 April 2026.