An Indian expat who won 100 million dirham (approximately ₹240 crore) in The UAE Lottery has opened up about how the money changed his life. Abu Dhabi-based Anilkumar Bolla won the life-changing amount exactly one year ago. Since then, the 29-year-old techie has bought properties in India and the UAE, cars for himself and his brother, gold jewellery for his mother, and farmland for his father.
How Anilkumar Bolla’s life changed
A year ago, Anilkumar Bolla made history when he won the largest lottery prize ever awarded in the UAE. He won 100 million dirham in October 2025.
Speaking about his life one year after the win, Bolla—a native of Telangana—said that the biggest change has been the ability to spend more time with his family.
“The most important thing is that I am spending quality time with my family,” he was quoted as saying by Khaleej Times. He described the past year as “transformative” and said: “Winning the lottery reshaped my life and my ambitions as well.”
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The last 12 months have brought him greater freedom and also some material comforts. He has, for example, purchased an iPhone 17 Air, and four to five high-end watches. However, for the 29-year-old Indian lottery winner, the most important thing has been helping his family.
{{/usCountry}}The last 12 months have brought him greater freedom and also some material comforts. He has, for example, purchased an iPhone 17 Air, and four to five high-end watches. However, for the 29-year-old Indian lottery winner, the most important thing has been helping his family.
{{/usCountry}}Among the first things he did was buy gold jewellery for his mother.
“It was her dream to have a few ornaments, so I brought it all together and gifted it to her,” he said, according to Gulf News. The gift brought tears to her eyes.
Same house in India
Anilkumar Bolla belongs to a farming family from Telangana. Since winning the jackpot, he has purchased properties in India and the UAE.
His family, however, still lives in the same house in India where they resided before his ₹250 crore win. Bolla describes the house as his father’s dream home.
He has, however, gifted his father farmland where he can pursue his passion for organic farming.
"My happiness is always linked to my family," he said. "Whatever I've done for them, those things are really special to me, and those are the things that make me the happiest, more than what I do for myself."
More investments, less excitement
One year on, Bolla no longer feels the same excitement for travel as he initially did.
Over the past 12 months, he has travelled to different destinations and enjoyed new adventures with his family. Bali, Thailand and Amsterdam has been among the destinations he explored.
"Somehow, the excitement has faded away, but I'm really grateful for the opportunities I'm getting and the things I'm doing," he said.
With many of his wishes ticked off, Bolla has now begun exploring potential business ideas and long-term financial planning. He has bought property near the airport in Abu Dhabi and at Dubai Marina as part of his investments.
Asked if he had any words of advice for other lottery winners, the Indian techie said: “Welcome to the millionaires’ club. Stay humble, manage your money well, and spend it wisely and with discipline.”