I don't think you can say Lightning only exists to make Apple money. They did come out with it a decent length of time before USB-C was finalized (2012 vs 2014)

I don't think you can say Lightning only exists to make Apple money. They did come out with it a decent length of time before USB-C was finalized (2012 vs 2014), and (I think) Lightning is clearly superior to pre-C USB options for a phone. Then when USB-C was available, Apple had only just switched connectors, and there were enough angry people when they switched away from the 30-pin connector (which had been in use for ~9 years) that switching connectors again after only a few years would have been a massive source of drama. They do seem to be slowly working towards a switch now, with USB-C showing up in iPads over the last few years, but I sincerely think that it'd have been overall bad for their PR to try to switch iPhones away anytime earlier than the last year or two. The longer they linger now, admittedly, the more money-grubbing it'll seem.