Latest news with #DubaiDutyFreeMillenniumMillionaire
News18
6 days ago
- Business
- News18
Millionaire Before Starting College: Indian-Origin Teen Wins $1M Lottery At Dubai Duty Free
Wayne Nash D'Souza, 18, wins $1 million in Dubai Duty Free raffle before starting aerospace engineering at University of Illinois Wayne Nash D'Souza, an 18-year-old Indian-origin student, has won $1 million in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire raffle, just days before starting university in the United States. Wayne, who is set to study aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, purchased the winning ticket—Series 510, ticket number 4463—on 26 July at Concourse A of Dubai International Airport, just moments before boarding a flight to Los Angeles with his family. Speaking to Khaleej Times from Los Angeles, Wayne described the moment as surreal. 'I was half asleep and exhausted from a full day at Universal Studios. I didn't believe it at first, it felt surreal," he said. Wayne was born and raised in Dubai to parents originally from Mumbai. His family has been participating in the Dubai Duty Free raffles for decades. 'I think my parents buy tickets regularly when they travel. I have been travelling since I was five, but they have probably been doing it for over 30 years," he said. Since he had recently turned 18, Wayne said he didn't have time to set up his own account, so he used his father's to enter the draw. 'I was feeling lucky and had a gut feeling that something good is going to happen," he added. When asked about his plans for the money, Wayne said it would go towards funding his and his sister's education, with the rest possibly being invested in property in Dubai. 'It will go toward me and my sister's education, and some of it will be used to buy property or invest in Dubai," the teen said. Dubai Duty Free confirmed Wayne is the 255th Indian-origin student to win the $1 million prize since the Millennium Millionaire promotion began in 1999. The draw offers a one-in-5,000 chance of winning, and only 10 people have won the jackpot more than once. 'An Indian student wins US$1 million, becoming the 255th Indian national to strike it rich, with plans to invest in his and his sister's future through education – how amazing is that?" Dubai Duty Free shared in a post on X Wednesday. #MillionaireNews An Indian student wins US$1 million, becoming the 255th Indian national to strike it rich, with plans to invest in his and his sister's future through education – how amazing is that? 🤩 Meanwhile, an Emirati national also claims US$1 million, and an Ethiopian… — Dubai Duty Free (@DubaiDutyFree) August 6, 2025 Meanwhile, Wayne, currently in Los Angeles with his family to support his sister's music career, said he will soon travel to Chicago to begin his university journey. view comments First Published: August 07, 2025, 19:26 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
18-year-old Indian-origin boy wins $1 million in Dubai Duty Free draw
Wayne Nash D'Souza, an 18-year-old Indian-origin boy, has hit the jackpot in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire raffles. Wayne, an aerospace engineering student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign purchased the winning ticket from Dubai airport as he was leaving for the US for his studies on July 26. Born in Dubai to parents who hail from Mumbai, Wayne said he and his family are regular participants in Dubai Duty Free promotions. 'I think my parents buy tickets regularly when they travel. I have been travelling since I was five, but they have probably been doing it for over 30 years,' Wayne was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times. 'Since I was going to the US for four years, I wanted to try myself,' he said, adding that 'I used my dad's account because I didn't have time to set up an account since turning 18 yet. I was feeling lucky and had a gut feeling that something good is going to happen.' Wayne said he was asleep when he received the call revealing him as the winner of the million-dollar lottery. 'I was half asleep and exhausted from a full day at Universal Studios. I didn't believe it at first, it felt surreal,' he said. When asked what he planned to do with the prize money, the teenager said it would be used to fund the education of himself and his sister. 'It will go toward me and my sister's education, and some of it will be used to buy property or invest in Dubai,' Wayne said. According to Gulf News, Wayne is the 255th Indian national to win $1 million through the Dubai Duty Free draw since its launch in 1999. According to Dubai Duty Free, the Millennium Millionaire Promotion offers participants a one-in-5000 chance to win $1 million, and so far, just 10 people have won the grand prize twice.
Mint
29-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
Dubai lottery: Kerala man claims $1 million prize again, Pakistani winner unreachable
An Indian expat living in Dubai has won the $1 million jackpot lottery for a second time in less than ten years. Paul Jose Mavely, a 60-year-old from Kerala, has once again struck gold in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw, while a Pakistani winner remains unaware of his fortune as organisers have been unable to reach him. Mavely, won the Millennium Millionaire Series 503 with ticket number 3532, purchased online on 19 May, Dubai Duty Free (DDF) announced on Wednesday. Mavely, who has lived in Dubai for 38 years, previously won the same prize in November 2016, making him only the 11th person to win twice in the history of the promotion. Read | Kerala man, raised by single mother, wins ₹ 71 crore in lottery after years of financial struggle In 2016, he shared the ticket cost and prize money with nine friends. This time, he shared the ticket cost with 17 friends who have been taking part in the Dubai Duty Free draws since 1999, rotating names on the ticket among the group. Mavely is a father of two and works as a site supervisor for a small contracting company. Overwhelmed with happiness, he told Gulf News: 'I'm very thankful to Dubai Duty Free for this second win in your amazing promotion.' Read | Woman wins ₹ 40 lakh lottery in US – all thanks to numbers she saw in a dream Meanwhile, Kiran Batool, a Pakistani national living in Saudi Arabia, won $1 million in Series 502 with ticket number 2252, bought online on 5 May. However, organisers have not been able to contact him and he remains unaware of his win. Mr Batool is the 27th Pakistani national to win the draw since it began in 1999, DDF said. The Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire is a lottery scheme launched in 1999, offering participants the chance to win US\$1 million. Each draw is capped at 5,000 tickets, improving the odds for entrants. Read | 'Someone gave me $10 for pumpkin...,' North Carolina man wins ₹ 1 crore lottery prize, credits luck to pumpkin sales Tickets are priced at AED 1,000 (approximately ₹ 22,700), excluding 5% VAT, and can be purchased either at duty-free shops in Dubai International Airport or online via the Dubai Duty Free website. The draw takes place twice a month and is open to all nationalities, with no requirement to be present in Dubai at the time of the draw. Since its launch, 251 Indians have won this lottery.
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Kerala man strikes $1 million jackpot for second time in Dubai lottery
In an extraordinary stroke of luck, a 60-year-old Indian expat from Kerala won the $1 million jackpot in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw, for the second time in less than a decade. On Tuesday, Paul Jose Mavely, who has lived in Dubai for the past 38 years, was named the winner of the latest draw (Series 503) by Dubai Duty Free's official Instagram account. Mavely is a site supervisor for a small contracting company. He first won the same jackpot in 2016. According to Khaleej Times, Mavely has been regularly participating in the Dubai Duty Free draw since its inception in 1999. Over the years, he has teamed up with friends to split the cost of tickets. For his latest win, he shared the ticket number 3532 purchased online on May 19, with 17 friends. 'I'm very thankful to Dubai Duty Free for this second win,' said Mavely, a father of two. His first win in 2016 was also a group effort, shared with nine other friends. 'Another millionaire moment—again! Huge congratulations to Mr. Mavely from India for winning his second US$1 million with Dubai Duty Free today!' the caption read. See the post here: A post shared by Dubai Duty Free (@dubaidutyfree) Reacting to it, a user wrote, 'Congratulations. I need to know the secrets of Indian luck.' Another user commented, '1000 is big money to buying a ticket.' The Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire lottery, launched in 1999, offers participants a shot at winning $1 million. Each draw is capped at 5,000 tickets, and tickets are priced at AED 1,000 (Rs 22,700, approximately), excluding five per cent VAT, and can be bought online or at Dubai International Airport's duty-free outlets. Draws are held twice a month and are open to all nationalities, with no requirement to be present in Dubai during the draw. In May 2024, a Punjab woman won $1 million in the lottery after buying a Dubai duty-free ticket with her husband's cash gift. Payal clinched the grand prize in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire Series 461 with ticket number 3337. A dedicated participant for the past 12 years, she consistently purchased tickets, often alternating the names between her husband and children.
Time of India
29-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Kerala man wins $1 million Dubai lottery jackpot twice - Here's how he did it
Dubai lottery 2025: They say luck doesn't strike twice – but for this lucky man from Kerala, it surely did! A 60-year-old man from India has shocked everyone by winning the $1 million jackpot in the Dubai lottery for the second time. Yes, you read that right – he's a double millionaire now! Who is the lucky Kerala man who won the Dubai jackpot? The man who won the jackpot is Paul Jose Mavely, who hails from Kerala and has been living in Dubai for the past 38 years. He works as a site supervisor in a small contracting firm. This time, he won the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw once again, making it his second time winning the Dubai lottery. According to Khaleej Times reports, Mavely had also won the same lottery in 2016, when he shared the prize money with a group of nine friends. Now, he has done it again, this time splitting the ticket with 17 of his friends. Ticket details and lucky draw results Mavely bought the winning ticket – number 3532 – online on May 19. His name was revealed as the winner of Series 503 by the official Dubai Duty Free Instagram handle. He has been trying his luck in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw since 1999. He regularly teams up with friends to purchase tickets together and increase their chances of winning. What Mavely had to say after the win 'I'm very thankful to Dubai Duty Free for this second win,' said a grateful Mavely, who is a father of two. This big win has brought joy not only to him but also to the 17 friends who joined him in buying the ticket. About the Dubai Duty Free Lottery The Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire lottery was started in 1999 and gives people from all over the world a chance to win $1 million. Every draw has only 5,000 tickets, which gives participants better odds of winning a jackpot. Each ticket costs AED 1,000 (around Rs 22,700), plus 5% VAT. Tickets can be bought at the Dubai International Airport or online via the Dubai Duty Free website. The draw is held twice a month and is open to people of all nationalities – you don't even need to be in Dubai to win! 251 Indians have won the Dubai lottery so far Since the lottery started, 251 Indian citizens have won the Dubai Duty Free jackpot – a clear sign that many Indians try their luck in this exciting game. But what makes Mavely's story even more special is that he's now a two-time winner of the $1 million Dubai lottery jackpot. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.
