Paul Jose Mavely, a 60-year-old Indian expatriate from Kerala, living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has remarkably won the Dubai Duty-Free Millennium Millionaire lottery for the second time in less than ten years. His latest triumph in the Series 503 draw awarded him a prize of $1 million, approximately Rs 8.5 crore.
The official Instagram account of the Dubai Duty-Free Millennium Millionaire announced Mr. Mavely's recent victory with congratulations: "Another millionaire moment - again! Huge congratulations to Mr Mavely from India for winning his second US$1 million with Dubai Duty-Free today!"
Social media users joined in celebrating his rare accomplishment, with many expressing amazement at his repeated luck. One comment read, "Congratulations I need to know the secrets of Indian luck," reflecting widespread admiration.
Having lived in Dubai for 38 years, Paul Jose Mavely works as a site supervisor for a contracting company. He becomes only the 11th person in the history of the Millennium Millionaire competition, which began in 1999, to win the grand prize twice. His first win was in November 2016.
Mr. Mavely has been a consistent participant in the draw, often sharing ticket purchases with friends to spread the cost. In honor of his recent win, he assigned ticket number 3532, bought online on May 19, to 17 of his friends.
Expressing gratitude after his second win, he said, "I am very thankful to Dubai Duty-Free for this second win."
The Dubai Duty-Free Millennium Millionaire lottery offers tickets priced at AED 1,000 (approximately Rs 22,700) plus 5% VAT. Tickets can be purchased either at Dubai International Airport duty-free shops or online via the official website. The draw occurs twice monthly, with a cap of 5,000 tickets per draw. All nationalities are eligible to participate, and physical presence in Dubai is not required to win.
Since its inception, the lottery has seen participation from diverse demographics, with at least 251 Indian nationals winning prizes to date.
In a related event earlier this month, Venugopal Mullacheri, a 52-year-old IT support specialist from Ajman, UAE, also won the $1 million prize. Mullacheri described the win as a "lifesaver" and likened it to lifting a "massive burden" off his shoulders. He purchased his winning ticket at Dubai International Airport on April 23.
