Howdy Ben,
Well.... I certainly wouldn't call the Fenix L1D CE or L2D CE complicated. Put in batteries, push the button for on, push the button for off. And with just a very tiny bit of reading and coaching, I'll bet most folks could understand how to change into the mode that gives 3 levels of light too. At just a dollar or so over your $50 limit (with the CPF8 discount code), either of those would make excellent state-of-the-art gifts.
However, if you have a number of gifts to give.... I love my Jetbeam C-LE (1xAA with a Cree LED), and it is easy to learn to use too. Twist for on, twist for off...... and with a bit of reading, they can learn to change levels easily. I think you can find it at either Dealextreme, or Emilion's Workshop (at Emilion's site, sign up for an account and them e-mail them your CPF name and they will set your account up with a discount). At around $25 you can't go wrong with this light (only thing is, they might need to clean and lube the threads).
Probably the most important thing is to give something that uses common, easy to find batteries. That's why I generally choose either 1xAA or 2xAA lights for gifts. Happy hunting.