To be specific, their sales have never stopped climbing, and their profits are sitting near all-time highs ($22 billion in profit last fiscal year).

The only reason this is a popular topic right now, is because the stock is at $50, thanks to the stock market bubble. The CEO had absolutely nothing to do with that. That's purely multiple expansion, not earnings growth. Apple is currently enjoying the same exact multiple expansion, which has pushed its stock back up despite zero earnings growth since fiscal 2012.