Scott Adams, the US cartoonist who wrote and illustrated the comic strip Dilbert, has died of cancer at the age of 68.
His ex-wife Shelly Miles announced his death on Tuesday during a live stream of his podcast, Real Coffee with Scott Adams.
The satirical cartoon strip - about a competent but frustrated engineer and his dysfunctional workplace environment - was first published in 1989, and went on to feature in more than 2,000 newspapers in 65 countries.
The character also later appeared in books, an animated TV series, and video games. However, Adams faced severe backlash in 2023 when his comic strip was canceled by multiple newspapers, including the Washington Post, after he was accused of making racist comments regarding black people.
Adams referred to black Americans as a hate group and suggested white Americans get the hell away from black people. These controversial remarks came in response to a poll that he interpreted regarding racial sentiments. He later claimed he was using hyperbole, disavowed racists, and asserted that media coverage had misrepresented his comments.
President Trump paid tribute to Adams on Truth Social, commenting, Sadly, the Great Influencer, Scott Adams, has passed away...He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease.
A tearful Shelly told listeners during Adams's latest podcast: He's not with us anymore. She shared a posthumous message from Adams, reflecting on his life and urging others to pay it forward.
In his later career, Adams, also a trained hypnotist, authored self-help books such as How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, reinforcing his multifaceted persona.
Adams had been receiving end-of-life care at home after his prostate cancer metastasized to his bones. In a prior podcast, he expressed his bleak prognosis, indicating the likelihood of recovery was low.
