Not necessarily. He says he operates in NY, so he can't pay too cheap. Even the most loyal employee will jump ship if the competing offer is 2x what he's currently making, especially with NY cost of living.
What he wants is stability. You'd be surprised how many very smart people put a premium on that sort of thing, especially when they get older.
Humbly disagree. 2x offers depends on how little he's paying them to begin with vs how easy it is to switch jobs. You don't need a pedigree or be able to handle hard tech interviews to switch jobs in NYC. You just need to go on a lot of interviews. Eventually, one will say yes.
NYC isn't exactly a place where you have limited options. You want limited options? Try to find a job upstate.
What he wants is stability. You'd be surprised how many very smart people put a premium on that sort of thing, especially when they get older.