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Dubai student turns millionaire at 18, days before starting university in the US
The aerospace engineering student plans to spend the windfall cautiously, saying he will do "a lot of research" before considering any investment
- PUBLISHED: Thu 7 Aug 2025, 11:12 AM
- By:
- SM Ayaz Zakir
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At just 18, Wayne Nash D’Souza has become a millionaire, all because he decided to give it a try and buy a Dubai Duty Free ticket.
"We usually buy tickets just for the fun of it when we travel, but since I was going to the US for four years, I wanted to try myself," said the Dubai-born Indian student who won $1 million at the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire draw.
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Wayne struck gold with ticket number 4463 in Series 510, which he purchased on July 26 at Concourse A of Dubai International Airport, just before boarding a flight to Los Angeles with his family. Speaking from the US, where he is studying aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Wayne said the timing of the win couldn’t have been better.
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"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,” said Wayne.
“My sister and I insisted on buying the ticket, and Dad finally relented. I am happy I followed my instinct. This is going to help in a big way with my university fees,” he added.
Wayne's family, originally from Mumbai, are frequent travellers and long-time 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,” he added.
Wayne said that he wants his family to be in a good headspace and in good health, “because that is the most important thing for us."
“My future plans with the money are undecided yet, I will do a lot of research before carefully considering investing,” he said.
The call announcing the big win came at 1.30am in the US. “I was half asleep and exhausted from a full day at Universal Studios," said Wayne. “I didn’t believe it at first, it felt surreal. I immediately thanked God and was too excited to sleep after that."
The family is currently in Los Angeles to support Wayne’s sister, who is pursuing a career in music. After completing their visit, they will fly to Chicago, where Wayne will begin his university journey.
Wayne is the 255th Indian national to win $1 million in the Millennium Millionaire promotion since it began in 1999.
SM Ayaz Zakir is a Senior Correspondent with a flair for extraordinary stories. His playground? Every corner of the UAE. He often ventures into remote corners of the country to capture compelling news and human interest stories.
