Scott Adams, the creator of the iconic comic strip “Dilbert,” which humorously articulated the frustrations of office workers and critiqued the absurdities of corporate culture, has passed away at the age of 68. His first ex-wife, Shelly Miles, shared the news during a livestream on Adams’ social media, noting that he had been in hospice care at his Northern California home. Adams had publicly disclosed his battle with prostate cancer in 2025, revealing that it had progressed to his bones.
In her statement, Miles reflected, “I had an amazing life. I gave it everything I had,” encapsulating a life marked by both creative triumph and controversy.
At its peak, “Dilbert,” characterized by its bespectacled protagonist in a short-sleeved white shirt and a perpetually crooked red tie, was syndicated in 2,000 newspapers across 70 countries and translated into 25 languages. The strip became a cultural touchstone, especially in office environments where its humor resonated with the daily grind of corporate life.
Adams received the prestigious Reuben Award from the National Cartoonist Society in 1997. That same year, “Dilbert” made history by being the first fictional character to appear on Time magazine’s list of the most influential Americans, with the magazine celebrating Adams as a “mouthpiece for the lessons we have accumulated—but are too afraid to express—in our effort to avoid cubicular homicide.”
The Collapse of the ‘Dilbert’ Empire
However, the “Dilbert” phenomenon unraveled dramatically in 2023. Following a series of inflammatory remarks in which Adams labeled Black individuals as members of a “hate group” and declared he would no longer help Black Americans, he faced swift backlash. Newspapers rapidly distanced themselves from the strip, and his distributor, Andrews McMeel Universal, terminated their relationship with him. The Sun Chronicle in Attleboro, Massachusetts, opted to leave the “Dilbert” space blank as a stark reminder of societal racism, and a forthcoming book project was shelved.
Bill Holbrook, creator of “On the Fastrack,” remarked, “He’s not being canceled. He’s experiencing the consequences of expressing his views.” This sentiment underscores the notion that free speech comes with the responsibility of facing its repercussions.
In the wake of his fall from grace, Adams attempted to reclaim his audience by relaunching the comic strip under the title “Dilbert Reborn” on the conservative platform Rumble, alongside hosting a podcast called “Real Coffee,” where he delved into various political topics.
His comments on free speech gained attention after Jimmy Kimmel’s show was suspended over controversial remarks regarding the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Adams expressed a desire for revenge but acknowledged that such feelings should not dictate one’s actions.
How ‘Dilbert’ Got Its Start
Adams, who held a bachelor’s degree from Hartwick College and an MBA from the University of California, Berkeley, first conceived “Dilbert” while working at Pacific Bell in the 1980s. He began sharing his cartoons to entertain colleagues, portraying Dilbert as a beleaguered computer programmer in a high-tech corporate landscape. After submitting a portfolio to syndicators, “Dilbert” made its debut on April 16, 1989, long before other workplace comedies like “Office Space” and “The Office” hit screens.
Critics, including Sarah Gillespie, who played a pivotal role in the strip’s early success, noted its unique perspective on office life, which was both humorous and insightful—even if the artistic execution left something to be desired. The comic captured a world reminiscent of Kafka’s bureaucracy, where employee merit often went unnoticed.
Adams introduced the “Dilbert Principle,” which humorously suggested that the least effective workers are often promoted to management roles to minimize their potential damage. He articulated a broader theme of power dynamics in the workplace, stating, “Throughout history, there have always been times when it’s very clear that the managers have all the power and the workers have none.”
Alongside characters like the pointy-haired boss, naive intern Asok, and the perpetually disgruntled Alice, “Dilbert” became a cultural staple. Adams famously incorporated his email address into the strip in 1993, fostering direct communication with fans and generating a wealth of inspiration for new material.
Through witty aphorisms such as “All rumors are true—especially if your boss denies them,” and “OK, let’s get this preliminary pre-meeting going,” Adams provided a lens through which many could laugh at the absurdities of office life. In a notable incident, a judge ruled in favor of an Iowa worker who was fired for posting a “Dilbert” comic at work, highlighting the strip’s influence on real-world workplace dynamics.
A Gradual Darkening
While Adams’ rise to fame was meteoric, a closer examination of “Dilbert” reveals a gradual shift toward darker themes and Adams’ own troubling views, which veered into misogyny, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and racism. His controversial remarks, including a 2011 statement equating the treatment of women to that of children and the mentally disabled, raised eyebrows long before his public collapse.
In June 2020, he provocatively claimed that the end of the “Dilbert” TV show was due to his race, despite attributing its cancellation to viewer ratings at the time. As his personal beliefs increasingly infiltrated the comic, the tone shifted; in a 2022 strip, a boss replaced traditional performance reviews with a “wokeness” score, illustrating how Adams’ views had begun to taint his once-clever satire.
Despite the backlash, Adams maintained a defiant attitude, asserting in 2023 that he had been “canceled” by a “dying leftist Fake News industry.” He claimed that he had never been more popular or faced less pushback in person, finding solace in support from conservative circles.
In a nod to his impact, former President Donald Trump remembered Adams as a “Great Influencer,” reflecting on their relationship during a time when such camaraderie was not widely accepted. “He bravely fought a long battle against a terrible disease,” Trump noted, highlighting the complexity of a man whose legacy straddles both cultural critique and personal controversy.
