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: View this post on Instagram 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.
