Microsoft offers $2 million sweepstake for Edge browser users with $1 million cash and Mercedes-Benz prizes

Microsoft is offering a $2 million prize pot to tempt users to its Edge browser, including a $1 million cash grand prize and Mercedes-Benz automobiles, in a promotion that went largely unnoticed for approximately a month before being flagged by media. The sweepstakes, accessible through Microsoft Rewards, includes "thousands of instant prizes" alongside the headline awards. Three cars are available, with winners directed to their local Mercedes-Benz dealer where they will have a budget of $100,000 or local equivalent to select a vehicle. The promotion has been running for about a month, with technology news site NeoWin identifying it as a "new promotion in Edge" this Thursday. Participants can enter without a monetary fee but must agree to receive emails about Microsoft Rewards and partner products. The maximum entry limit is 465 entries per person, account, email address, or mobile phone number. Sharing links to the prizes event page can also generate additional entries. Examples of prizes already awarded include an Acer Copilot+ PC won by someone in Spain, a $50 Xbox Gift Card claimed by a U.S. entrant, and a ROG Xbox Ally handheld secured by a participant from Mexico. The sweepstakes is open to residents of the United States, Canada, multiple South American and European countries, New Zealand, Japan, and South Africa. Microsoft has provided currency conversions for the $1 million grand prize, noting that some countries will see 30% of the prize value withheld for tax purposes. Edge, Microsoft's web browser built on the same Chromium engine as Google Chrome, has struggled to gain market share despite being included with Windows installations. The company has employed various incentives over the years to encourage adoption, including integration with its Bing search engine and Microsoft Rewards program. The $2 million promotion represents one of the company's more substantial efforts to attract users through direct financial incentives rather than technical or feature-based differentiation.