I got approx $18,400 off a brand new 08 leftover Escalade, $69k sticker... That was during the now-expired red tag sale which was the cheapest discounts I have ever seen, even bettering the employee discount they had years back...
The 09's (H2 and Escalades) weren't discounted even close to the 08's, maybe $4-6 off I forget, but it wasn't even close the 08's.. I am curious if your firend bought an 08 or is just throwing numbers around a bit...
I heard times are a bit tough for GM, so who knows?!
