Scott Adams, the cartoonist who created the satirical American comic strip Dilbert, has passed away at the age of 68. Adams’ first ex-wife, Shelly, announced Adams’ death during a live stream on Real Coffee with Scott Adams, then read his final message to fans.
In the letter, dated January 1, 2026, Adams assures everyone he’s still of sound mind and that he’s converting to Christianity due to the “risk-reward” calculation. Before passing away, Adams entered hospice earlier this month, where he was receiving end-of-life care for his rapidly declining condition. Helping Adams in his final days alongside nurses and medical staff members were Shelly, her daughter, and her sister. In the end, Adams lost his battle with prostate cancer. Before his passing, Adams recorded a podcast episode, saying it could be his final one before the end.
Adams on his diagnosis and preparing for the worst
Earlier this month, Adams updated fans about his declining health on Real Coffee with Scott Adams, saying, “I talked to my radiologist yesterday, and it’s all bad news — the odds of me recovering are essentially zero,” Adams said. “I’ll give you any updates if that changes, but it won’t.”
“So there’s no chance that I’ll get my feeling back in my legs, and I’ve got some ongoing heart failure, which is making it difficult to breathe sometimes during the day,” the cartoonist continued. “However, you should prepare yourself that January will probably be a month of transition, one way or another.”
Where did Dilbert get its start?
In the late 1980s, while working at the Pacific Bell Telephone Company, Adams, in a partnership with United Media, launched the Dilbert comic strip. After hundreds of publications picked up the strip, Adams went into the Dilbert business full-time. Dilbert readers appreciated the character’s sardonic nature and identified with the plights of his workaday lifestyle, particularly those familiar with cubicle environments. In 1999, an animated Dilbert TV series premiered, featuring Daniel Stern as Dilbert, Chris Elliott as Dogbert, and Larry Miller as Dilbert’s Pointy-Haired Boss. The series lasted for 30 episodes before being canceled.
In 2023, the Dilbert comic strip fell out of grace with many newspapers after unfortunate comments made by Adams marred the strip’s image.
