This works when there's an obvious non-profit that has a monetizable product. The latter conflicts with the former, so it requires a disconnect. Meanwhile, if Apple tried to do the same, investors would look at that as obviously shady. In addition, non-profits are more heavily restricted by the government.
Lastly, you can't just "take the money" and "do what you want"; fraud, malfeasance, fiduciary responsibility (in the corporate entity), etc still exist. It's not some magic get out of jail free card.