Now I can buy a smart phone: Raffle winner
abu dhabi — What will be the first thing one does with a Dh12 million prize money?
John Varghese, the winner of Dh12 million Big Ticket raffle, who is a Dubai-based Indian driver, said: “I want to change my basic phone and buy a smart phone.”
Varghese, from south Indian state of Kerala, said he thought it was a April Fool’s Day joke when he received a call from the organisers after the draw had taken place at the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
“I couldn’t believe that I could get lucky. April Fool’s Day had just passed by and I thought it was a friend pulling my leg. I also had doubts if this was a fake call as you read about lot of scams happening,” a beaming Varghese said over the 7phone.
“Even though it was confirmed it still took a while before calling my family back in Kerala. This is surreal and the feeling of being a winner is slowly sinking in,” said the new multi-millionaire.
“At times I would buy on my own. This money will be shared with another seven friends, who had pooled in to buy the winning ticket 093395.”
He will share the amount with friends Aneesh Kumar Kannan, Suneer KM, Rasheed Soopi, Moosa Paramel, Rasique, Manu Karunakaran and Shameer, who all had contributed to buy the ticket.
It was by 2016-end that Varghese landed in Dubai and started working as a driver for a private company in Jumeirah Lake Towers. So, will he shift base to Kerala with his jackpot?
“No, I will continue to work here. Dubai has made me what I am today. This day happened because I am working here in Dubai. I have a small family with wife and two children. I will now invest in their future. There is no better way to make use of this money than to invest in education,” he said, adding that his daughter is now in Grade 12 and son in Grade 5.
“I have gone through hardships so I will set aside a portion to help the needy,” Varghese added.
So, how is he going to celebrate this occasion?
“I haven’t planned yet. We friends will get together and plan,” he said in a modest tone.