A former Twitter executive who’s suing Elon Musk over unpaid severance is now taking over SF’s housing and economic recovery response under the Daniel Lurie administration, as Ned Segal has been named Chief of Housing and Economic Development.

The last we’d written about prominent local tech executive Ned Segal, he was a freshly fired Twitter CFO who was suing Elon Musk for stiffing him out of his severance package after Musk fired most of the company in late 2022. (If you’re curious, that lawsuit is still ongoing, and a judge just denied Musk’s attempt to dismiss the case last month).

But Segal is now back in the news for completely different reasons, as the Chronicle reports that incoming SF mayor Daniel Lurie has hired Segal as his housing and economic development chief. That position is newly created, as it’s one of four deputy mayor or “policy chief” positions that are part of Lurie’s restructuring of the mayor’s office.

“Ned embodies the kind of innovative leadership San Francisco desperately needs to tackle our most pressing challenges,” Lurie said in a Tuesday morning press release. “With his strong background in the private sector, a deep love for San Francisco backed by extensive civic engagement, and a track record of delivering results, Ned is uniquely positioned to lead the revitalization of downtown, accelerate housing production, and drive economic growth in our City.”

Segal had been Twitter’s Chief Financial Officer from 2017 to 2022, and had previously held high-level positions at Intuit and Goldman Sachs. He’s known Lurie since boyhood as they both attended the prestigious Town School for Boys, and his hiring should not come as a shock, as he worked on Lurie’s mayoral campaign and transition team.

As Chief of Housing and Economic Development, Segal will coordinate the city’s efforts to get more housing built, to speed up the downtown economic recovery, and to help the city manage its way out of a deficit that could reach as high as $876 million.

“As a city known for its innovation and boundless potential, San Francisco has long been a beacon of creativity and growth,” Segal said in the same press release. “The City faces a budget crisis, and returning to meaningful economic growth will be critical to helping San Francisco and San Franciscans thrive.”

This is the second private sector hire Lurie has made, following last week’s naming of former Giants executive Staci Slaughter as chief of staff. He has not named the other policy chief or "czar" positions, which will be tasked with coordinating public safety, public health, and city infrastructure, respectively. But Lurie seems to be drip-dripping these announcements out one-by-one in a structured fashion.

Related: Daniel Lurie Plans to Create Four Deputy Positions In Mayor's Office [SFist]

Images courtesy Daniel Lurie and Ned Segal