By Art Holliday
St. Louis (KSDK) - How much is Olympic gold worth?
Sometimes it's worth millions.
Gymnast Gabby Douglas already has a deal to appear on Kelloggs Corn Flakes boxes, with more offers to come.
It's likely that swimmer Michael Phelps is spending the early days of his retirement talking to corporate sponsors who want to show him the money.
There's a different golden rule at the Olympics: win enough gold.
Dave Collett is general manager of Weber Shandwick, a global company that does sports marketing for corporate clients.
He agrees that the gold standard for endorsements is Phelps, who was already earning a reported $5 million a year, and that's before his London gold rush.
"He's very iconic, and as he's matured he definitely has a lot to bring to the table beyond what he's achieved in the pool," said Collett.
Collett believes multiple gold medalist Douglas is a lock to earn big endorsement dollars.
Proctor and Gamble gambled on Gabby before the Olympics, and Collette predicts pet companies may follow suit and hire the "Flying Squirrel."
"On her personal Twitter page it mentions how she likes dogs, so for example, a pet brand, and we have several here in St. Louis even, might find working with her an interesting possibility," he said.
But fame can be fickle, just ask Olympic hurdler Lolo Jones. With a headline that reads "everything is image," the New York Times criticized Jones for chasing endorsement dollars but failing to live up to the hype.
The newspaper pointed out that East St. Louis native Dawn Harper won gold in 2008 and silver in 2012, but remained in Jones' shadow for four years.
Jones says she hasn't read the New York Times article, and she may want to skip it. It says "Jones has received far greater publicity than any other American track and field athlete competing in the London games. This was based not on achievement but on her exotic beauty and a sad and cynical marketing campaign."
KSDK