Rich tributes have been paid to the man who literally made hundreds of millionaires in his lifetime. Past winners of Dubai Duty Free draws have said they are now living the life of their dreams, have achieved their goals, and their lives have been significantly transformed – all thanks to Colm McLoughlin.

Hailed as the father of Dubai Duty Free (DDF), McLoughlin passed away on Wednesday in the UK at the age of 81. Industry leaders praised McLoughlin’s business acumen for building DDF from the ground up; while employees, staff, and officials at DDF deeply admired his leadership skills and generosity.

For winners of the Dubai Duty Free Millennium Millionaire promotion, it was his vision that created opportunities for them to improve their lives. 'It was like losing a father,' said Dubai resident Payal Harnek Singh, who is originally from Punjab. Although she did not personally meet McLoughlin, for her, his passing felt like losing a father, who was like a great provider.

Singh won $1 million in May this year. “It has improved our lives,” she told Khaleej Times, adding: “The win provided us an opportunity to consider investing to have our own house here in Dubai.” “We are expats, owning our own house helps us with our long-term goal to stay in the country. And It’s now possible because of the windfall we received from the draw,” added Singh, who is the 229th Indian to win the Millennium Millionaire promotion since its inception in 1999.

Another DDF winner, Gowda Ashok Gopal, who also won $1 million in January this year, had only kind words for McLoughlin. “McLoughlin’s legacy is profound and enduring. As a visionary leader, he didn’t just redefine the travel retail industry — he shaped it into what we know today. DDF, under his stewardship, became an iconic institution synonymous with quality, innovation, and exceptional service, setting benchmarks worldwide,” he said.

For Sanjay Lalla, who shared the $1 million with 53 Indian, Pakistani, and Filipino expats in March last year, his biggest takeaway was seeing McLoughlin at work. Lalla has been working at dnata since 1994, and he said he witnessed how dedicated McLoughlin was at his job. “He was very approachable and down-to-earth. I saw him almost every day – he was running up and down – and people were able to get near him easily. He also liked talking to people, no matter what their designation was,” Lalla shared.

Another DDF winner, Erwin D., a 47-year-old Filipino expat and long-time Dubai resident who won with nine of his friends in August last year, also shared his condolences. He said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of the esteemed former DDF chief. We mourn his loss, but more than that, we celebrate his legacy and the profound impact he had on our lives and community.”

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