Barista plans to get married after winning Dh1 million

A man from Bhutan who works as a barista in Al Ain has won Dh1 million ($272,316) in the latest Mahzooz draw.

Tandin, 28, who is the first from his country to join the Mahzooz millionaires’ league, has been living in the UAE for the past five years, draw operators Ewings said.

He started participating in the draw about a month ago when he first bought the Dh35 water bottle that qualifies the buyer for a ticket.

On only his fourth attempt, he was a winner.

“I feel overwhelmed, and I am still in disbelief that I have become financially independent,” he said.

Tandin said he was at work when the draw took place and his supervisor informed him about his win.

At first he thought his supervisor was joking, but when he saw his friends congratulating him on a WhatsApp group and posting screenshots of his name from the live draw, he decided to check his Mahzooz account. Tandin plans to get married soon and intends to continue working.

“I need to be very careful where I invest my money and consider many factors before making a decision because I am getting married soon,” he said.

“I will be using some of my prize money for the wedding expenses. I may also make a few investments back home in Bhutan and help a few of my friends who have been supporting me during my time here in the UAE.”

Bikash, 37, from Bangladesh, was another winner. He walked away with a kilogram of gold.

He lives in Ras Al Khaimah and works as a barber. He said he has been participating in the draw since it launched.

“I was overjoyed to learn that I am the lucky recipient of this much gold,” he said.

“This is a life-changing moment for me, and I feel thankful,” he said.

On April 19, Padam Bahadur, 41, a Nepali driver with a food trading company in Dubai, became an overnight millionaire after scooping the Dh20 million jackpot.