Dilbert Creator Scott Adams Dies at 68 After Cancer Fight

Scott Adams, the cartoonist who created the Dilbert comic strip, died Tuesday morning at his home in Pleasanton, California. He was 68 and had been fighting metastatic prostate cancer that spread to his bones.

His ex-wife, Shelly Miles, shared the news during what would have been his daily livestream on YouTube. Adams had built a huge following there in recent years, talking about his work, his views on politics, and his health battles right up to the end.

Background

Adams was born on June 8, 1957, and grew up in a small town. He went to college and then took office jobs that shaped his cartoons. He worked at Crocker National Bank and later at Pacific Bell from 1986 to 1995. Those jobs, with their pointless meetings and odd bosses, gave him ideas for Dilbert.

He started drawing Dilbert in 1989 while still at Pacific Bell. He woke up early each day to work on it before heading to his day job. At first, it ran in just a few newspapers. But it quickly caught on. By its peak, Dilbert appeared in over 2,000 papers in 57 countries and 19 languages.

The strip poked fun at office workers stuck in cubicles. Dilbert, the main character, dealt with a pointy-haired boss who made dumb decisions. There was Wally, the lazy coworker who wanted to get fired for a payout. Alice was smart but always overlooked. Asok was the eager intern. Catbert ran HR like a cat with claws. Dogbert was a clever dog who knew everything.

Dilbert turned into a big business. Adams wrote dozens of books collecting the strips. He made page-a-day calendars that sold millions. There was merchandise everywhere. In 1997, he won the Reuben Award, the top prize from the National Cartoonists Society.

The comic even became a TV show in 1999 on UPN. It ran for two seasons. Adams was the executive producer. The show got an Emmy nomination that year. But it ended after that. Adams later said the network shifted its focus.

Adams wrote other books too. Some were about business, like advice on winning in life. He tried other ventures. In 2000, he launched a burrito brand called Dilberito through his food company. It had veggies and minerals but did not sell well. People said it tasted bad and caused gas. He sold it off after losing money.

He also owned restaurants for a while starting in 1997 but got out of that before 2017.

In his personal life, Adams married Shelly Miles in 2006. She had two kids. He helped raise her son Justin from age 2. They divorced in 2014 but stayed close. Justin died in 2018 at 18 from an overdose. Adams said a bike accident at 14 had hurt his brain and led to addiction.

Key Details

Adams first talked about his cancer in May 2025. He said it was stage 4 and had spread. By then, he needed a walker and felt constant pain. He told fans on his show, Coffee With Scott Adams, that he had no good days.

Health Decline in Final Months

Things got worse through 2025. In November, he said his right hand had focal dystonia, a problem that made drawing hard. His left hand was partly paralyzed. He stopped drawing but kept writing the strips. An art director took over the illustrations.

By December, he could not move from the waist down, even though he felt things. In early January 2026, he shared more bad news from his doctor. No chance of getting leg feeling back. He also had heart failure. He warned fans that January might be his last month.

On January 12, Shelly told reporters he was in hospice care. His health was dropping fast. He died the next day, January 13.

Adams kept up his daily YouTube shows almost to the end. Friends helped in his last days. He livestreamed on Monday. Shelly announced his death Tuesday just before the show started.

“Hi everyone. Unfortunately this isn’t good news. Of course he waited until just before the show started, but he’s not with us anymore.” – Shelly Miles, ex-wife of Scott Adams

In 2023, Adams faced big trouble. During a livestream, he made comments about race that many called racist. Newspapers dropped Dilbert, including big ones. His syndicator, Andrews McMeel, ended their deal. Publisher Penguin Random House canceled a book and pulled his old ones.

Adams said his points were to judge people as individuals and avoid risks based on stats. He said he did not support racists. He moved Dilbert online to his own website. He self-published that book, Reframe Your Brain, and dedicated it to his fans.

He kept going with YouTube. His audience stuck by him. He called them Simultaneous Sippers for a game they played on stream.

What This Means

Adams leaves a mark on comics and office humor. Dilbert spoke to millions who felt trapped in bad jobs. It ran for over 30 years and changed how people saw cubicle life. Books and calendars kept it alive long after papers faded.

His cancer fight showed his straight talk. He shared every update, good or bad. Fans saw a man who faced death head-on, still cracking jokes and giving advice.

The controversies split people. Some saw him as a free thinker who said hard truths. Others felt his words hurt. Dropping Dilbert ended its run in papers, but online it lives on.

His family feels the loss deep. Shelly stayed close after divorce. She read his last message to fans. Losing Justin years ago hit hard too.

Dilbert strips will keep running online. New ones from his ideas. His books stay in print from other paths. YouTube videos capture his voice forever.

Other cartoonists remember him. His style influenced workplace satire. Young artists might pick up where he left off.

Adams often said persuasion and mindset matter most. He lived that, pushing through cancellation and sickness. His story reminds people how one voice can shake up big ideas, even at the end.