‘It feels surreal’: 18-year-old student who won $1m Dubai Duty Free raffle

Dubai: For 18-year-old Wayne Nash D’Souza, a trip to the airport for his journey to a university in the US turned into a life-changing moment that made him an overnight multi-dirham millionaire, and he says it feels “surreal.”

Born and raised in Dubai, the Indian expat student had just completed his board exams from Hartland International School. On July 26, he was heading to the US with his family to begin his undergraduate studies in aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

At Dubai International Airport’s Concourse A, he and his younger sister, Chloe, decided on a whim to buy a Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire raffle ticket each.

“I just felt lucky, you know?” Wayne told Gulf News from Los Angeles.

“I had turned 18 in March, and this was my first time buying the ticket myself. But I used my dad’s Skywards account since I hadn’t set up one. Yet, I didn’t think I was going to win. It was just for fun.”

He chose ticket number 4463. A few days later, on August 6, while he was just about to sleep at 1am, he was informed that he had won $1 million (Dh3.67 million).

“It’s kind of surreal, to be honest. I still don’t feel like it’s real,” said Wayne, recalling the night his family broke the news to him.

“My dad walked into the room and asked me to sit down. Then my mom and sister came in, and everyone was freaking out. I was in complete shock. I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night.”

Wayne, whose parents are from Mumbai, credits his family’s long-time tradition of buying raffle tickets during their travels. But this time, he and his sister took the lead.

“We convinced our dad to let us each buy one,” he said.

Though the tickets were technically paid for through the father’s account, they were registered in the children’s names, and the one chosen by Wayne hit the jackpot.

“I’ve been thinking about how to put this money to good use — investing in our health, securing our future, and supporting our education.”

The family had flown to LA not only to get Wayne settled for university but also to support Chloe, 14, a budding musician, to record her upcoming singles.

“Chloe’s passionate about music. She writes and produces her own songs. This money will also help launch her music career,” Wayne said proudly.

His childhood fascination with aerospace drove his decision to pursue a degree in the field.

“Ever since I was really small, I’ve dreamed of studying aerospace engineering. This win doesn’t change my goals. It’s going to take the financial burden off my parents. I can pay them back for everything they’ve done.”

His father, Royce D’Souza, who runs a logistics company in Dubai, and his mother Christabelle, who works with another logistics firm, were equally overjoyed and thankful.

“We’re just grateful to Dubai Duty Free and to the Dubai government. We will use this money for good purposes, and we will invest in Wayne and Chloe’s education and future,” Royce said.

While he is enjoying the excitement of his win, Wayne remains grounded — and has so far only tried to catch up on the sleep he lost after receiving the news.

“Most of my friends from Dubai have got to know, and they have been super supportive. We’ve all worked hard to get where we are, and this win just feels like a sign that we’re on the right path,” he said.

He also hopes to eventually give back to his community in both the UAE and India.

“We’re exploring ways to invest in both countries and yes, we’re also considering supporting charities.”

For now, Wayne is preparing to begin classes in Illinois, possibly as the only freshman on campus starting off as a newly minted millionaire.

According to DDF, Wayne is the 255th Indian national to win US$1 million through the draw since its launch in 1999.