Scott Adams, the creator of the beloved comic strip “Dilbert,” known for its portrayal of the frustrations faced by white-collar workers in modern office settings, has passed away at the age of 68. The news was shared by his first ex-wife, Shelly Miles, during a livestream on Adams’s social media accounts. Adams disclosed in 2025 that he had been battling prostate cancer that had spread to his bones and was under hospice care at his Northern California residence.
“Dilbert,” featuring a bespectacled protagonist in a white shirt and red tie, reached its peak with a global presence in 2,000 newspapers across 70 countries and 25 languages. Adams received the National Cartoonist Society’s prestigious Reuben Award in 1997 and made history by having “Dilbert” listed as one of Time magazine’s most influential Americans the same year.
Despite its immense success, the comic strip faced a sudden downfall in 2023 when Adams made racist remarks, leading to his removal from syndication. This incident resulted in multiple newspapers dropping “Dilbert,” and his distribution company, Andrews McMeel Universal, cutting ties with him. However, Adams later relaunched his comic strip as “Dilbert Reborn” on the video platform Rumble and continued to engage with his audience through a podcast called “Real Coffee with Scott Adams.”
Throughout his career, Adams used “Dilbert” to shed light on office culture, emphasizing themes of bureaucratic absurdity and employee underappreciation. The strip introduced the concept of the “Dilbert Principle,” highlighting the dynamics between managers and workers in corporate environments. Adams’s engagement with his fans, including sharing his email address in the strip, allowed for a unique interaction that fueled his creativity.
While Adams’s professional trajectory initially seemed promising, his later years were marked by controversial statements and a shift in the tone of his work towards misogyny and divisive views. Despite the challenges he faced, Adams maintained a strong following and continued to express his opinions on social and political matters through various platforms.
Scott Adams leaves behind a legacy that continues to spark conversations about workplace dynamics and societal issues. His impact on the world of cartooning and satire will be remembered by fans and critics alike.