American cartoonist Scott Adams, who wrote and illustrated the comic strip Dilbert, has died of prostate cancer, his ex-wife Shelly Miles said on Tuesday. He was 68.
As per BBC, Shelly broke down in tears while breaking the news at the beginning of the Real Coffee with Scott Adams podcast. “He's not with us anymore,” she said.
Shelley also read out a 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,” it reads.
Adams was known for creating the satirical cartoon strip Dilbert, which revolved around a competent yet frustrated engineer navigating a dysfunctional workplace. First published in 1989, Dilbert went on to appear in more than 2,000 newspapers in 65 countries.
The comic strip also featured Asok, an Indian intern from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
Dilbert was adapted into books, an animated TV series and a video game. However, the comic strip was cancelled by newspapers in 2023 after Adams was accused of making racist comments about black people.
Following his death, US President Donald Trump paid tribute to Adams on Truth Social. “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,” he wrote.
“He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease,” Trump added.
After his cartoonist career, Adams wrote self-help books including How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Win Bigly, Loserthink and Reframe Your Brain in his later years.
According to the BBC report, 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 January 1 this year, Adams told listeners on his podcast 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.
“However, you should prepare yourself that January will probably be a month of transition, one way or another,” Adams added.