Gabby Douglas’ Golden Future ($) Unfolds

*For Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas, winning the gold at the Olympics was just the beginning.

Diane Pucin of the LA Times writes that Douglas, the breakout gymnastics star of the London Games, has the style and personality to cash in for millions in marketing for years to come.

Douglas, a 16-year-old from Virginia Beach, Va., who did not come from a life of privilege but from a background in which her single mother has struggled to pay the mortgage on a condominium, will leave London not only with her medals, but also with the opportunity to become a millionaire. Thanks to those golds. And that smile.

Though Douglas failed to medal in her final event Tuesday, finishing seventh on the balance beam, she is the first American to win team and all-around gold in the same Olympics.

“What she brings to the table is the smile and the personality,” said AJ Maestas, president of Chicago-based Navigate Marketing, which specializes in research, valuation and sponsorship. “If her business is well-managed and her career stays on track, she should make between $2 million and $4 million in endorsement revenue per year for the next four years.”

Tayra Lagomarsino, marketing director for AEG Facilities, which is co-promoting with USA Gymnastics a post-Olympics tour that comes to the United Center on Oct. 14, said ticket sales have increased every day since Douglas and the U.S. team won gold last week.

“We’ve seen an uptick every day of competition,” Lagomarsino said. “Gabby winning those golds, we’re seeing her everywhere.”

Read/learn more at LA Times