This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has sold his stake in Apple, citing concerns about the giant tech company's prospects in China.

Apple's stock fell 9 percent this week after it reported a sizeable drop in iPhone sales. Icahn, a longtime booster, told CNBC he still thinks Apple is a "great company." But he said he worries about Chinese regulators, who recently blocked Apple's online services. Apple has been hoping to expand in China.

Icahn last year called it a "no-brainer" to invest in Apple, predicting the company could be worth $1 trillion. At that point, he owned 53 million shares, valued then at $6.5 billion, nearly 1 percent of the company. The stock has fallen 20 percent since then, but Icahn said he still made $2 billion from selling his shares.