Two groups of Indian colleagues each won $1 million in the latest Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise draw on Wednesday.
The first group — led by Ettiyanikkal Pailybabu, a 56-year-old Indian expat based in Dubai — is composed of 10 friends who have been participating in the draw for the past four years. They have been alternating names on the ticket for each series, and luck smiled when Pailybabu purchased online ticket number 3068 on August 18.
The group will be sharing $1 million (Dh3.67 million) job. Pailybabu, who hails from Kerala and is a father of two, said he will “probably go back to Kerala and start a small business” after receiving his share of the prize.
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Another lucky UAE resident who will be sharing $1 million prize money with his three compatriots is Gopi Devarajan, a 46-year-old Indian national based in Sharjah who won in series 514 with ticket number 1978, which he purchased online on August 14.
Devarajan hails from Chennai is a father of two and works as a manager for a hospital. When asked about his plans for the money, he said: “I will definitely save it for my children’s education. I may also buy a house and start a small business.”
Pailybabu and Devarajan are the 257th and 258th Indian nationals, respectively, who won $1 million in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since its inception in 1999. According to DDF, Indians are the biggest buyers of raffle tickets.
