Dubai: A Canadian national of Indian origin won a jackpot of $1 million in Dubai Duty Free (DDF) Millennium Millionaire raffle on Tuesday.
Mukhtar M., who is based in Dubai and works as a real estate broker, said he was surprised upon receiving "the call of a lifetime" from a Dubai Duty Free representative, the Khaleej Times reported.
"Thank you so much Dubai Duty Free for this amazing news, I have been participating in your promotions both for Millennium Millionaire and Finest Surprise for 10 years. I can't believe that I finally won," he said.
In a surprise for Mukhtar M., his golf buddy Michael McGinley, also won the raffle and became the first ever Irish national to win the Millennium Millionaire raffle since its inception in 1999, according to Gulf News.
McGinley is also based in Dubai.
"When I got the call from Duty Free, I was like 'Oh My God!' I needed to verify it before telling anyone else... Then I got a call from Mukhtar asking - did you just win one million dollars. I was shocked... Then he said he had won it too. It was such a coincidence!" McGinley told Gulf News.
"Winning the raffle was the first shock. Knowing that Michael had also won it in another series was the second shock," said Mukhtar M.
Both the men said they had no clue that they will be striking it rich, not through golf, but the raffle.
"Golf could be the lucky charm as both of us won it on the same day," Mukhtar M. said.