After more than a week of buzz and speculation, the UAE Lottery has finally revealed the identity of the country’s biggest-ever jackpot winner, and he’s a 29-year-old Indian expat living in Abu Dhabi.

Anilkumar Bolla, who has called the capital home for years, struck gold in the Lucky Day Draw #251018 held on October 18, taking home an unbelievable Dh100 million, the largest prize in the nation’s lottery history.

Anilkumar was relaxing at home when the life-changing call came through. His winning numbers weren’t random either. 

The millionaire winner used an Easy Pick for one part of the ticket and personally chose the number 11 to honour the month of his mother’s birthday, a sentimental touch that unknowingly sealed his fate.

And as fate would have it, his massive win arrived just ahead of Diwali, the festival of lights. “I haven’t done any magic. I just went for the Easy Pick. The last number was special as it’s my mum’s birthday date, ” Anilkumar said on X on the number that unknowingly brought him this massive win.

Though he has not yet planned how to use the money, he said he will use some of it to celebrate in a 7-star resort and buy a supercar. “My parents had small dreams and I plan to fulfil their wishes and take care of all their needs,” he added.

The UAE Lottery released Anilkumar’s photo and video on Monday, confirming him as their first-ever Dh100 million winner. The draw also saw 10 other lucky participants take home Dh100,000 each.

Since its launch, the UAE Lottery has paid out over Dh147 million in prizes to more than 100,000 players. But for Anilkumar, the moment still feels like a dream, one that began with his mother’s birthday and ended with a jackpot that changed his life forever.