Arnold Schwarzenegger has stepped down as California Governor.
After seven years as governor of California the former champion body builder turned movie star and businessman is leaving his adopted home mired in huge financial woes.
But as he prepared to hand over power to Jerry Brown two months after 2 November polls Mr Schwarzenegger stood by all his decisions.
In his weekly radio address he said: 'History will be the final judge of my administration's record, but I leave office proud of what we have accomplished.'
He continued: 'I am especially proud that we were never afraid to make the tough choices, and set aside ideology in favour of compromise. At times this cost me politically. But I always acted in the best interests of California's future.'
While he impressed many with his transformation into a liberal Republican and green champion who won re-election in 2006, his poll ratings slid in recent years, in line with California's economic fortunes.
A budget crisis in 2010 pushed California, which were it a country, would have been the world's eighth largest economy, to the brink of bankruptcy, sending its credit-rating plunging and forcing it to pay bills with IOUs.
But while commentators will pick over Mr Schwarzenegger's political legacy, many are watching closely to see what the 63-year-old will do next.
In an interview with the LA Times last month, he acknowledged he has many other options, from writing his autobiography to the speech-making circuit, to business projects or even a behind-the-camera role in Hollywood.
It is all a long way from his humble beginnings in a small town near Graz in eastern Austria.
In 1968, after winning a string of bodybuilding contests, the penniless 21-year-old came to the United States to pursue his passion.
He earned a business and economics degree from the University of Wisconsin, became a millionaire while winning the Mr Universe title four more times, and then shrugged off barbs about his thick accent as he turned to acting.
Along the way he also married into a political dynasty, wedding Maria Shriver, a niece of former president John F Kennedy as well as a journalist and author.
His star power would certainly help him pursue a political career -- there has even been talk about him joining the Obama administration in some environmental role.
