Scott Adams, the US cartoonist who wrote and illustrated the comic strip Dilbert, has died of cancer at the age of 68.
His ex-wife, Shelly Miles, announced his death on Tuesday during a live stream of his podcast, Real Coffee with Scott Adams.
A tearful Miles told listeners at the start of the latest episode: “He’s not with us anymore.”
Dilbert cartoonist Scott Adams dies following prostate cancer diagnosis revealed in May 2025
The satirical cartoon strip, about a competent but frustrated engineer and his dysfunctional workplace environment, was first published in 1989. It later featured in more than 2,000 newspapers in 65 countries.
The character later appeared in books, an animated TV series and a video game.
In 2023, the comic strip was cancelled by newspapers including the Washington Post after Adams was accused of making racist comments about black people.
Adams called black Americans a “hate group” and suggested white Americans “get the hell away from black people”, in response to a conservative organisation’s poll which purported to show that many African-Americans do not think it is OK to be white.
He later defended his comments and said he had been using hyperbole to make a point. He added that he disavowed racists and said media reports had ignored the context of his comments.
Donald Trump posts tribute on Truth Social
US President Donald Trump paid tribute to Adams on Truth Social following news of his death.
“Sadly, the Great Influencer, Scott Adams, has passed away,” Trump wrote. “He was a fantastic guy, who liked and respected me when it wasn’t fashionable to do so.
“He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease,” he added.
Miles also read out a posthumous message from Adams.
“I had an amazing life, I gave it everything I had,” the message said.
“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 his later career, Adams, who was also a trained hypnotist, wrote self-help books including How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Win Bigly, Loserthink and Reframe Your Brain.
He won the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award in 1997 for his work on Dilbert, as well as the Newspaper Comic Strip Award.
Adams had been receiving end-of-life care at his home after the prostate cancer, which he first revealed he had in May 2025, spread to his bones.
On 1 January this year, he told listeners that the chances of him making a recovery were unlikely.
“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.”
