WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is leading Donald Trump in a Time magazine poll to find the person of the year.
Mr Assange, who has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than four years, leads the field in the contest.
He had been neck-and-neck with the US President-elect earlier this week when the pair had nine per cent of the vote.
But Mr Assange has now pulled ahead, getting 12 per cent of support compared to Mr Trump's 11 per cent.
Every year Time selects the person who has, for better or worse, made the greatest impact on the world in the past year.
Previous winners have included Mahatma Gandhi, Joseph Stalin and Ronald Reagan. Last year, German Chancellor Angela Merkel scooped the prize.
The magazine's editors make the final selection but the poll, which closes on December 4, is a way for readers to voice their opinions.
Mr Assange faces a sex allegation in Sweden, which he has always denied but believes that if he leaves the Ecuadorian embassy he will be extradited to the US for questioning over the activities of WikiLeaks.
He was interviewed inside the embassy last week in the presence of prosecutors from Sweden.
The Swedish Prosecution Authority said it would take a view on the continuation of its investigation.
Mr Assange's lawyer, Jennifer Robinson, said he had co-operated fully with the interview and hoped the Swedish prosecutor would give "impartial and objective" consideration so the matter could be closed.
Additional reporting by the Press Association.
