Pradeep Kumar (centre) with Big Ticket hosts Richard and Bouchra. SUPPLIED

Expat wins Dh15 million, decades after winning Dh100,000 in same draw

Abu Dhabi-based Pradeep Kumar says he has not splurged on anything big after winning Dh15 million in the Big Ticket draw earlier this year. Speaking at Big Ticket’s recent press event, the Indian expat said, “I had seen many people spend lavishly, and their lives went out of control. I will be spending but as per need. I am not going to splurge.” Kumar won Dh15 million in Big Ticket last May. His big win came 25 years after he won Dh100,000 in the same draw in 1998. In his latest windfall, Kumar was at the airport in India, waiting to board his flight back to the UAE when his wife called to tell him that he won the draw. So far, he has only bought a car and thrown a party for his friends to celebrate. He says he wants to avoid spending big in the next six months so he can fund future investments, including building a farm in Kerala. Kumar has been buying Big Ticket tickets in the last 25 years. In 1998, he was at the Abu Dhabi airport when he bought his winning ticket for just Dh100 at the time. The Indian expat works at a state-owned company in Abu Dhabi. He plans to retire in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala where he wants to build a farm for his family. ICA/Expat Media
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