Scott Adams, the cartoonist who satirized corporate America with the Dilbert comic strip before pivoting to a career as a political commentator, has died. He was 68.
The news was announced Tuesday by his first ex-wife, Shelly Miles, during a livestream of his YouTube show, Real Coffee with Scott Adams. Miles read a posthumous letter from Adams in which he reflected on a life he described as “amazing,” urging his audience to “be useful.”
“Please know I loved you all to the very end,” Adams wrote in his final message.
Adams revealed last May that he had been diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer that had metastasized to his bones. At the time, he noted the similarity of his condition to President Joe Biden’s health challenges, making his announcement just a day after the President disclosed his own diagnosis.
In his farewell note, Adams explained that he viewed his life in distinct phases—first focusing on becoming a worthy husband and father to find meaning, and later “donating” himself to the public. He described his evolution from a cartoonist to an author as an effort to maximize his utility to others.
“From that point on I looked for ways I could add the most to peoples’ life, one way or another,” he wrote.
READ: ‘No Good News’: Dilbert Creator Scott Adams Warns Fans January May Be His Final Month
Tributes and Controversy
President Donald Trump paid tribute to the cartoonist on Truth Social shortly after the announcement.
“He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease,” Trump wrote. “My condolences go out to his family, and all of his many friends and listeners. He will be truly missed. God bless you Scott!”
Trump described Adams as a “fantastic guy,” noting that Adams “liked and respected me when it wasn’t fashionable to do so.”
While Adams built a cultural empire in 1989 with Dilbert—a strip that appeared in thousands of newspapers and defined office humor for decades—his later years were marked by significant controversy.
In 2023, the Dilbert strip was effectively wiped from syndication after Adams made comments on social media describing Black people as a “hate group” and advising White people to “get the hell away from Black people.”
The backlash was immediate. Major publishers, including the USA Today network and the Los Angeles Times, dropped the strip. His distributor, Andrews McMeel Universal, severed ties, and Adams later estimated he lost roughly 80% of his income due to the cancellations.
Despite the professional fallout, Adams maintained a dedicated following online through his books and daily broadcasts, where he continued to offer commentary until his health declined.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox
