Arnie Powers Into Lead

Arnold Schwarzenegger is leading the race to be the next governor of California, the campaign's first poll showed at the weekend.

The Time-CNN poll indicated that voters were ready to dump Gray Davis, the state's Democratic governor, and the Terminator actor is already looking like he could replace him.

Schwarzenegger polled 25 per cent, 10 per cent ahead of his nearest rival.

The actor has been working hard in his campaign, waking early every day to appear on breakfast shows.

The Austrian-born star has also issued a statement of his finances showing that, apart from earning up to £19 million per movie, he is also a smart businessman, with more than 100 ventures, 19 of which are valued at more than $1 million (£600,000).

His film income alone is enormous. With 1988's comedy Twins, he decided to forgo any up-front fee in return for 15 per cent of the studio receipts, and as a result made over £18 million.

His income from his next 13 films, up to Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, has been about £188 million.

His wife, Maria Shriver, a Kennedy, has a trust fund worth millions, as well as the fame. As an NBC reporter, she has vast experience of media manipulation, and is telling voters to back him, whether they be Democrats like herself, or Republicans like her husband.