Scott Adams, the American cartoonist best known as the creator of the comic strip Dilbert, has died at the age of 68 after a battle with cancer.
The news was announced on Tuesday by his former wife, Shelly Miles, during a live broadcast of his podcast, Real Coffee with Scott Adams.
Dilbert, a satirical comic focusing on a competent but disillusioned engineer and his experiences in a dysfunctional corporate environment, first appeared in 1989. It went on to achieve widespread popularity, appearing in over 2,000 newspapers across 65 countries.
The character also expanded into books, an animated television series, and a video game. However, in 2023, the comic strip faced cancellation by several newspapers, including The Washington Post, following accusations of racist remarks made by Adams regarding Black people.
Adams’ comments, where he referred to Black Americans as a “hate group” and suggested white Americans should “get the hell away from Black people,” were made in response to a poll from a conservative organization which suggested many African-Americans do not think it is OK to be white.
He later defended his statements, claiming he used hyperbole to underscore a point, disavowing racists, and asserting that media reports disregarded the full context of his remarks.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged Adams’ passing on Truth Social, stating: “Sadly, the Great Influencer, Scott Adams, has passed away. He was a fantastic guy, who liked and respected me when it wasn’t fashionable to do so.”
Trump added, “He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease.”
At the beginning of Tuesday’s podcast, Shelly Miles somberly announced, “He’s not with us anymore.”
She then read a posthumous message from Adams: “I had an amazing life, I gave it everything I had.”
“If I got any benefits from my work, I’m asking that you pay it forward as best as you can. That’s the legacy I want.”
“Be useful, and please know I loved you all to the very end.”
In addition to his comic work, Adams, who was also a trained hypnotist, authored self-help books such as “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big,” “Win Bigly,” “Loserthink,” and “Reframe Your Brain.”
Adams had been receiving hospice care at his home following the spread of prostate cancer, which he initially disclosed in May 2025, to his bones.
On January 1st of this year, he informed listeners that his chances of recovery were slim.
“I’ll give you any updates if that changes, but it won’t,” he said.
“So there’s no chance that I’ll get my feeling back in my legs, and I’ve got some ongoing heart failure, which is making it difficult to breathe sometimes during the day.”
“However, you should prepare yourself that January will probably be a month of transition, one way or another.”