Editing Mark Spitz (section)

===Post-swimming career===
After Spitz's return to the United States following the 1972 Olympics, he landed several lucrative corporate endorsement contracts.  He earned about $7 million in a two-year period.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Spitz: Biography |url=http://www.answers.com/topic/mark-spitz |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110213183437/http://www.answers.com/topic/mark-spitz |archive-date=13 February 2011 |url-status=dead |publisher=[[Answers.com]] |access-date=23 January 2020}}</ref>  "A million dollars in 1972 would be equivalent to more than $10 million today," Spitz said in 2007.  "I did very well, thank you very much."<ref>{{cite news |title=Spitz just can't get away from Phelps |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/26/sports/AS-SPT-SWM-Worlds-Mark-Spitz.php?page=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919035054/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/03/26/sports/AS-SPT-SWM-Worlds-Mark-Spitz.php |archive-date=19 September 2008 |url-status=dead |work=[[International Herald Tribune]] |date=March 26, 2007  |access-date=23 January 2020}}</ref> Spitz added, "I would say I was a pioneer. There wasn't anyone who'd gone to the Olympics before me who capitalized the same way on opportunity. It depends on timing, it depends on hype, it depends on the economy, and most importantly, it depends on looks. I mean, I've never seen a magazine of uglies. That's our society. I'm not saying it's right. That's just the facts."<ref>[http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/sports.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2008-07-27-0133.html]{{dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Spitz went on to start a real estate company.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/sportscentury/features/00016480.html|title=ESPN.com: Spitz lived up to enormous expectations|website=www.espn.com}}</ref>

Per his official website, Spitz is self-employed as a corporate spokesperson and motivational speaker.  However, Sports Yahoo! lists his occupation as a stock broker and motivational speaker.<ref name=snub>{{cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=afp-oly2008swimusaspitz&prov=afp&type=lgns |title=Spitz, once the star, upset over Beijing snub |publisher=[[Yahoo! Sports]] |author=Hui, Polly |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080815220118/http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=afp-oly2008swimusaspitz&prov=afp&type=lgns |archive-date=August 15, 2008 }}</ref>  According to one interview, "Spitz became a stockbroker in 2002 and has since moved into private equity.  He is now also dabbling in the 'water business', as he calls it, and is in negotiations to build a water-bottling facility on aquifer-rich land that he and a business partner own."<ref name=SI>{{cite magazine |last=McGarr |first=Elizabeth |date=July 21, 2008 |title=Catching up with Mark Spitz |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/07/01/spitz.cuw/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080726173334/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/07/01/spitz.cuw/index.html |archive-date=26 July 2008 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |access-date=January 30, 2011}}</ref>

Spitz has pursued various entrepreneurial projects with former NBA player [[Rick Barry]].  He travels the world, delivering about 25 lectures a year.  His biography, ''The Extraordinary Life of An Olympic Champion'' by Richard J. Foster, was released in July 2008.<ref>{{cite news| last= Goodman |first=Dean |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSN1935785920080802 |title=Mark Spitz makes splash about Beijing invite |work=Reuters |date= August 2, 2008|access-date=August 16, 2008 }}</ref>

In July 2012, he endorsed [[Istanbul]]'s [[Istanbul bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics|bid]] to host the [[2020 Summer Olympics]], but the award went to [[Tokyo]].<ref>Mackay, Duncan (July 16, 2012) [http://www.insidethegames.biz/sports/2020-bidding-sports/17731-olympic-legend-backs-istanbul-2020 "Olympic legend backs Istanbul 2020"]. insidethegames.biz</ref>