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.
Wayne Nash D’Souza was on his way to US when he bough the ticket (Photo: X/ Dubai Duty Free)
‘Parents have been buying tickets for 30 years’
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.
‘Felt something good was going to happen’
“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.
‘Prize money for education, investment’
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.
