Scott Adams, the American cartoonist best known for creating the workplace-satire comic strip Dilbert, has died at the age of 68 following a prolonged battle with prostate cancer, his former wife announced on January 13, 2026.
Adams worked in various corporate roles before he became a full-time cartoonist in 1995. By the mid-1990s, Dilbert, created in 1989, had gained national prominence in the United States and began to reach a worldwide audience, remaining popular throughout the following decades and spawning several books written by Adams. In the mid-2010s, Adams emerged as an independent commentator on events and politics.
He wrote in a satirical way about the social and psychological landscape of white-collar workers in modern corporations. In addition, Adams wrote books in various other areas, including the pandeistic spiritual novella God’s Debris and books on political and management topics, including Loserthink.
Scott Adams’s passing was confirmed by his ex-wife, Shelly Miles, during a livestream of his podcast Coffee with Scott Adams, where she read a final message that Adams had prepared before his death. In the letter, Adams reflected on his life and career, expressing gratitude to his audience and urging others to “pay it forward.” He wrote that his body had failed before his mind and that he remained of “sound mind” as he composed his farewell in early January.
Adams first revealed his cancer diagnosis in May 2025, announcing that he had aggressive prostate cancer that had spread to his bones and that doctors had given him only months to live. In his final months, he shared updates on his health with followers, detailing a rapid decline that included paralysis and hospice care at his Northern California home.
By the end of 2025, the cancer had spread to his spine, which caused him to use a walker due to the immense pain. In November 2025, he said his health was suddenly declining rapidly again and took to social media to ask President Trump for help to get access to the cancer drug Pluvicto. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replied, saying, “How do I reach you? The President wants to help.”The following month, he said he was paralyzed below the waist and had been undergoing radiation therapy.
On January 1, 2026, Adams stated on his podcast that he had spoken with his radiologist and that it was “all bad news.” He said there was no chance of regaining feeling in his legs and disclosed having ongoing heart failure. Adams told viewers they should prepare themselves for “that January will probably be a month of transition, one way or another” in January. He died while under hospice care at his Pleasanton home on January 13 at the age of 68
Adams’s legacy remains complex: celebrated for his sharp comic critique of office life and influential books like The Dilbert Principle, yet also marked by controversy in his later years. His work shaped the way millions viewed corporate culture and left an indelible mark on American humor and business satire.
