Dubai resident, who won after five years of trying, plans to invest his winnings in property in the UAE.
Dubai: It took more than five years of trying, but Gaurav Madaan’s persistence finally paid off in spectacular fashion.
The 42-year-old compliance officer from Dubai has become the latest dollar millionaire through the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire promotion, winning $1 million in a draw held at Concourse C of Dubai International Airport on Wednesday.
Madaan, an Indian national living in Dubai since 2023, won in Millennium Millionaire Series 545 with ticket number 2916, purchased online on May 20.
Expressing his joy, he said, “Thank you Dubai Duty Free! You have fulfilled my dream.”
When asked about his plans for the winnings, he said he intends to invest in property in Dubai.
The 277th Indian winner in the promotion, Madaan originally hails from Sonipat, near Delhi. He works as a compliance officer for a French company based in Dubai and is a father of one.
He is now the 277th Indian national to win $1 million in the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire promotion since its launch in 1999. Indian nationals continue to be the largest group of ticket purchasers in the draw, according to DDF.
Luxury car winners
Following the Millennium Millionaire draw, three luxury cars were also awarded in the Finest Surprise draw held at the same event.
Sharif Abdulla Alulama, a 60-year-old Emirati based in Dubai, won a Mercedes-Benz GLS 580 4M in Metallic Obsidian paint with ticket number 1195 in Finest Surprise Series 1954 through the DDF–AMEX co-branded promotion. The retired father of two expressed his gratitude, saying, “Thank you to Dubai Duty Free, and especially to AMEX. I have been an AMEX member for almost 20 years, and I am thankful for the opportunities they provide to participate in Dubai Duty Free promotions. This time, luck was on my side and I am truly grateful.”
Second-time winners
Kapil Bhatia, a 44-year-old Indian national based in Dubai, has won a Land Rover Defender 110 V8 Ultimate Edition P525 in Carpathian Grey with ticket number 1026 in Finest Surprise Series 1955. The ticket was purchased online on May 20.
This marks his second win in the promotion. Bhatia previously won a Range Rover Sport Dynamic HSE P400 in Finest Surprise Series 1874 with ticket number 0361 in April 2024.
For Series 1955, he purchased ten tickets, with the winning number 1026 reflecting a combination of his wife’s and son’s birthdays. A father of two, he works as a category manager for a retail hypermarket chain.
He said, “As soon as I won the first time, I realised that anyone can be lucky. Keep believing and keep trying, anyone can be a winner. Thank you so much Dubai Duty Free!”
Rounding off the draws, David Duppa-Miller, a 63-year-old British national based in the UK, won an Aprilia RSV4 1100 in Stingray Blue with ticket number 0976 in Finest Surprise Series 667, purchased online at Concourse C on May 22.
This marks his second motorcycle win. He previously won a BMW F 900 GS in Finest Surprise Series 656 with ticket number 0742 in February 2026. Duppa-Miller was unavailable for immediate comment.
