PLEASANTON, CALIFORNIA – Scott Adams, the cartoonist and author who created the popular office satire comic Dilbert, has died at the age of 68. His passing was announced by his ex-wife, Shelly Miles, during a January 13 episode of Adams’ podcast, Coffee with Scott Adams, where she read a final message he had written.
“If you are reading this, things did not go well for me. My body failed before my brain. I am of sound mind as I write this,” Miles read from Adams’ note.
Adams was first diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 2025, which later spread to his bones. In January 2026, he said his chances of recovery were “essentially zero,” and he had lost feeling in his legs while also experiencing heart failure.
Career and Rise to Fame
Born in Windham, New York, in 1957, Adams initially studied economics after being discouraged from pursuing a career in cartoons. He worked as a bank teller and later earned an MBA at UC Berkeley, eventually joining Pacific Bell.
Dilbert emerged from doodles Adams created at work, featuring exaggerated office characters with “potato-shaped bodies.” The comic strip, which satirized corporate culture, was picked up for syndication by United Media in 1989. Its popularity soared in the 1990s, appearing in over 1,000 newspapers across 32 countries. Adams also became the first nationally syndicated cartoonist to post his strips online.
“Most of the ideas I use are from e-mail. It’s like tapping into this great collective consciousness,” Adams said in a 1995 interview.
Dilbert inspired numerous best-selling books, a Primetime Emmy-winning TV series, and even a short-lived branded vegetarian burrito called the “Dilberito.”
Later Life and Controversies
In the 2000s, Adams expanded into nonfiction and self-help books, including How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big (2013), Win Bigly (2017), Loserthink (2019), and Reframe Your Brain (2023). He also hosted the podcast Coffee with Scott Adams.
Adams’ later years were marked by controversy. In 2023, he made racist comments during a public rant, which led to Dilbert being dropped by numerous newspapers and distributors. Despite this, he continued to publish the strip online. He was also known for political commentary, endorsing former President Donald Trump in 2016 and speaking out against COVID-19 measures.
Personal Life
Adams was married to Shelly Miles from 2006 to 2014 and became stepfather to her two children. He credited her with helping him recover from spasmodic dysphonia, a vocal disorder that left him nearly mute until a 2008 surgery. In 2020, he married Kristina Basham, with the couple divorcing in 2022.
In his final message, Adams reflected on his life and career:
“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.”
Legacy
Scott Adams leaves behind a complex legacy: a cartoonist who redefined workplace satire, an author who influenced self-help literature, and a public figure who courted controversy in his later years. His creation, Dilbert, remains a cultural touchstone for office humor and the absurdities of corporate life.
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