Scott Adams, the cartoonist best known as the creator of the satirical "Dilbert" comic strip, died at the age of 68 after a battle with metastatic prostate cancer. His death was announced by his former wife, Shelly Miles, on Tuesday during a livestream. Adams gained widespread recognition for "Dilbert," which satirized white-collar office culture, but also attracted significant attention in his later years for his political commentary and controversial statements, which led to the cancellation of his comic strip by many newspapers in 2023.
Death Announcement and Final Message
Shelly Miles announced Adams's death on Tuesday during a livestream of his podcast, "Real Coffee with Scott Adams," and on social media. She stated that Adams had been in hospice care at his home in Northern California. Miles read a posthumous statement from Adams, dated January 1, 2026, which included the lines: "If you are reading this, things did not go well for me," and "I had an amazing life. I gave it everything I had. If you got any benefits from my life, I ask you pay it forward as best you can. That's the legacy I want. Be useful, and please know I loved you all to the very end."
Early Life and Career Origins
Born on June 8, 1957, in Windham, New York, Scott Adams developed an interest in cartooning from a young age. He pursued higher education, earning a bachelor's degree in economics from Hartwick College and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. Adams also trained as a hypnotist. His professional career included roles at Crocker National Bank and Pacific Bell. While working in corporate positions, he began drawing "Dilbert" in 1989.
The Rise of Dilbert
"Dilbert" debuted on April 16, 1989, and quickly gained popularity for its satirical portrayal of white-collar office culture and the frustrations of cubicle workers navigating dysfunctional corporate environments. The strip centered on its titular white-collar engineer and his dog, Dogbert. Adams was known for incorporating reader suggestions into his storylines, becoming one of the first syndicated cartoonists to include his email address in the strip in 1993.
At its peak, "Dilbert" was syndicated in approximately 2,000 newspapers across 65 to 70 countries and 25 languages. The comic strip's success led to several best-selling books, including The Dilbert Principle (1996), a video game, merchandise, and an Emmy-nominated animated television series that aired in 1999 and was canceled in 2000. In 1997, Adams received the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for his work on "Dilbert," and the character was included in Time magazine's list of most influential Americans that same year. Beyond cartooning, Adams explored other ventures, such as "Dilberitos" (vegetarian burritos) and various novels and nonfiction books, including "How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big."
Health Issues
Adams publicly disclosed in May 2025 that he had an aggressive form of metastatic prostate cancer, stating it had spread to his bones and that he was expected to live for only a few months. He shared his diagnosis after former President Joe Biden's office announced a similar prostate cancer diagnosis, expressing compassion for Biden and his family. In November 2025, Adams publicly sought assistance from former President Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. regarding health insurance issues that had delayed his treatment for an FDA-approved cancer drug. Following their intervention, Adams secured an appointment the next day. In early January 2026, Adams stated on his YouTube show that the "odds of me recovering are essentially zero." He had also been open about other health issues, including focal dystonia affecting his drawing hand and spasmodic dysphonia.
Shift to Commentary and Controversies
From approximately 2015, Adams increasingly focused on conservative political commentary, notably supporting Donald Trump and predicting his 2016 election victory. He published Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don’t Matter (2017), which analyzed Trump's persuasive techniques. Adams hosted a YouTube talk series and podcast, "Real Coffee with Scott Adams," where he commented on social and political events.
Over the years, Adams drew attention for controversial statements on various subjects:
- 2006: He posted an article questioning the Holocaust’s death toll, which he later removed.
- 2011: He published a blog post arguing that American men faced oppression comparable to women, which he later deleted. He also commented that women are treated differently for the same reasons as children and the mentally disabled.
- 2020: He tweeted that the cancellation of the "Dilbert" TV show in 2000 was the "third job I lost for being white," despite previously attributing its end to viewership and time slot changes. He also questioned the validity of COVID-19 vaccines and the 2020 election results and minimized the January 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection.
- 2022: Adams introduced a Black character named Dave, who identified as white. Critics interpreted this character as a critique of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and as an attack on transgender people.
Dilbert's Cancellation
In February 2023, Adams made comments during a YouTube livestream that led to the widespread cancellation of "Dilbert." While discussing a Rasmussen poll asking if people agreed "It's OK to be white," Adams urged white people to "get the hell away from Black people," characterizing Black people as a "hate group." He stated, "I don’t think it makes any sense as a white citizen of America to try to help Black citizens any more." These remarks resulted in many U.S. newspapers, including The Washington Post, discontinuing the strip, and his distributor, Andrews McMeel Universal, ending their partnership with him. Adams defended his statements, claiming he used hyperbole to make a point, disavowed racists, and stated that media reports had ignored the full context of his comments.
Later Ventures and Personal Life
Following the widespread cancellations in 2023, Adams relaunched the comic strip as a subscription-only online strip titled "Dilbert Reborn" on the video platform Rumble and continued his podcast.
Adams was married twice: first to Shelly Miles from 2006 to 2014, and then to Kristina Basham from 2020 to 2022. He had no biological children.
Tributes and Reactions
Former President Donald Trump acknowledged Adams's passing on Truth Social, recognizing him as a "Great Influencer" and a "fantastic guy," stating Adams "liked and respected me when it wasn’t fashionable to do so." Trump also offered condolences. Some commentators credited Adams with assisting Trump's 2016 electoral victory. Conversely, other audiences observed a shift in Adams's public persona during the 21st century, linking his embrace of certain political movements with expressions characterized by critics as anti-Black racism and bigotry.