A 29-year-old Indian expatriate from Abu Dhabi has become an overnight multimillionaire after hitting the UAE’s largest-ever lottery jackpot, a huge amount of 100 million dirhams (around Rs 240 crore).

Anilkumar Bolla, who hails from Andhra Pradesh and has been living in Abu Dhabi for several years, struck gold in the 23rd Lucky Day Draw held on October 18, beating odds of 1 in 8.8 million, according to Khaleej Times.

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The UAE Lottery shared the moment that transformed Anilkumar’s life on X, posting a video of the winner being showered with golden confetti as he received his ceremonial cheque.

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It read, “From anticipation to celebration, this is the reveal that changed everything! Anilkumar Bolla takes home AED 100 Million! A Lucky Day we’ll never forget. For Anilkumar, Oct. 18 wasn’t just another day; it was the day that changed everything.”

Who is Anilkumar Bolla?

In the emotional clip, Anilkumar recalled how he chose his winning ticket and how one number made all the difference. “I haven’t done any magic or something, so I just chose the Easy Pick… The last number is very special. It’s my mum’s birthday,” he said.

Like thousands of Indian expats in the UAE, he built his life through hard work and determination, but fate had something extraordinary in store.

Recalling the moment he discovered his win, he said, “I was in shock. I was sitting on the sofa, and I’m just feeling that, yes, I won it.” Even as he basked in the euphoria of his unexpected fortune, Anilkumar’s thoughts quickly turned to responsibility.

“I was just thinking about how I need to invest this amount, spend it in the right way. After winning this amount, I felt like I have money. Now, I need to work on my thoughts in the right way, and I want to do something big.”

While he dreams of celebrating his victory in style with a supercar and a stay at a seven-star resort his most heartfelt wish is to reunite with his family.

“I just want to take my family to the UAE, and I want to enjoy my whole life staying with them,” he shared. The young winner also plans to give back to society.

“I do have a plan to donate some of the money to charity. Because I believe that donations will reach out to the people who will really require the money. So that gives me core happiness,” he expressed.

Anilkumar ended his interview with a message of hope for other players, “I believe that everything happens for a reason. I suggest each and every player to keep playing, and for sure, one day luck will come to you.”

He also thanked the UAE Lottery for giving him a “very big opportunity” and hoped it would continue to “bring joy to others in the years to come.”

Ten other participants also took home Dh100,000 (Rs 24 lakh) each, making it a “milestone moment” for the organisers.

Since its inception, the UAE Lottery has produced over 200 winners of Dh100,000 and collectively awarded more than Dh147 million in prizes to over 100,000 participants, as per Khaleej Times.

UAE does not levy income tax on lottery winnings meaning Anilkumar will receive the entire Dh100 million tax-free. In contrast, lottery prizes in India are taxed heavily, with a 30% flat rate, plus surcharges and cess that push the effective tax rate even higher.

Just a month before Anilkumar’s life-changing moment, another Indian expatriate, Sandeep Kumar Prasad, a 30-year-old technician from Uttar Pradesh, had won Dh15 million (Rs 35 crore) in the Abu Dhabi Big Ticket Series 278 draw.