Dubai resident who won Dh15m in Big Ticket draw reveals daughter demanded slice of winnings with order for cake

A Dubai resident who struck it big with a life-changing Dh15 million ($4 million) raffle jackpot said he would take his time to decide what to do with his newfound wealth.

Ashish Moholkar, 42, an account manager at insurance company Takaful Emarat, decided to try his luck in the UAE’s Big Ticket draw for the first time when he saw a buytwo-get-one-free promotion.

Mr Moholkar, a father of two, said he did not believe it at first when he was contacted by a Big Ticket representative to tell him that one of his discounted tickets earned him a windfall in Sunday’s live draw.

“I was in shock and disbelief and it took me more than 30 minutes to grasp the reality of my win,” he told The National.

The unexpected good news did not fully sink in until he confirmed for himself that he had won the money. “A friend was with me at the time and we both started checking the Big Ticket winners’ list online and only then did I truly believe I had won,” Mr Moholkar said.

Excited to share the news, he made more than a dozen calls to his wife but could not get through to her.

He also called his mother to tell her the news.

“She began crying from happiness,” he said.

When his wife returned his call, she was initially concerned and thought something bad may have happened to him because of the number of missed calls.

After reassuring her of his well-being, he broke the news and then called his 14-year-old daughter.

“She also cried tears of joy for the win and because my family would get to visit me in Dubai on December 25,” he said.

His youngest daughter, who is six, wasted no time in sending him a long wish list of toys and cakes she desired, which he promised to buy.

“I’m certain a portion of the funds will go towards securing the education of my two daughters, providing them with a sense of financial security for their future,” he said.

During the live draw, 10 other winners from Palestine, Nepal and India celebrated as they shared prizes totalling Dh590,000.

It was a memorable Union Day weekend for Milu Kurian, who won a new Range Rover Velar in the draw.

Established in 1992, the Big Ticket has created many millionaires. In the next monthly draw, on January 3, one winner will walk away with a grand prize of Dh20 million.

I was in shock and disbelief and it took me more than 30 minutes to grasp the reality of my win

ASHISH MOHOLKAR Big Ticket draw winner