US President-elect Donald Trump greets his running mate Mike Pence during his election night rally in Manhattan, New York, US, November 9, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

NEW YORK - Republican Donald Trump has beaten Democrat rival Hillary Clinton in a close race to win the 45th US presidency early on Wednesday, pulling a major upset after a controversial and scandalous campaign cycle.

According to projection by the major television networks, Trump has surpassed the threshold of 270 out of the total 538 electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

His opponent, former first lady and Secretary of State Clinton, has made a formal telephone call to Trump to concede the election, but will not speak until the next morning, according to media.

In the nail-biting contest throughout the night, Trump was able to pull a winning margin in many of the crucial swing states including Florida, Ohio and North Carolina, and was even able to snatch previously democratic-leaning states like Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The victory has made Trump the first president that never held elected office since 1953.