3Pre-IntermediateGeneralCulture

Man Wins a Million-Euro Picasso for 100 Euros

A man in Paris won a famous Picasso painting worth 1 million euros. He only paid 100 euros for a raffle ticket. The money from the raffle will help Alzheimer's research.

1 min readLevel 3April 15, 2026

By Flalingo Editorial Team

Vocabulary

Study these words before reading the article. Click the audio button to hear pronunciation.

raffle

/ˈræfl/

noun

A game where people buy tickets to win a prize. One ticket is picked to win.

“She bought a raffle ticket at the school event.”

worth

/wɜːrθ/

adjective

The amount of money something can be sold for.

“This old watch is worth a lot of money.”

charity

/ˈtʃærɪti/

noun

An organization that helps people in need. It collects money to do good things.

“They gave money to a charity for children.”

lucky

/ˈlʌki/

adjective

Having good things happen to you by chance.

“He was very lucky to find the lost ring.”

famous

/ˈfeɪməs/

adjective

Known by many people around the world.

“Paris is famous for the Eiffel Tower.”

research

/rɪˈsɜːrtʃ/

noun

Careful study to learn new things about a subject.

“Scientists are doing research to find new medicines.”

Listen to Article

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Article

Click on any underlined word to see its definition. Highlighted words are from the vocabulary section.

A lucky man just won a Picasso painting. Ari Hodara lives in Paris, France. He paid only 100 euros for a ticket. That ticket won him a famous artwork. The painting is worth 1 million euros.

The painting is called Head of a Woman. Picasso painted it in 1941. It was a charity raffle at Christie's in Paris. People from around the world bought tickets. All 120,000 tickets were sold.

The raffle raised 12 million euros in total. Most of the money will help Alzheimer's research. This was the third raffle of its kind. Hodara said he wants to keep the painting. He found the raffle by chance at dinner.

Comprehension Quiz

Test your understanding of the article with these multiple-choice questions.

1
How much did Ari Hodara pay for his raffle ticket?
2
What is the name of the painting he won?
3
Where did the raffle draw take place?
4
What will most of the raffle money support?
5
How many tickets were sold for this raffle?

Discussion

Answer these comprehension questions about the article.

1
Who won the Picasso painting in the raffle?
2
How much did the winning ticket cost?
3
How much is the painting worth?
4
What will the raffle money help pay for?
5
How many tickets were sold in total?

Further Discussion

Share your opinions on these open-ended questions.

1
Would you spend 100 euros on a raffle ticket? Why or why not?
2
What would you do if you won a painting worth 1 million euros?
3
Have you ever won something in a raffle or a game?
4
Do you think art raffles are a good way to raise money for charity?
5
What famous painting would you like to have in your home?