Scott Adams, the creator of the Dilbert comic strip that breezily skewered white-collar life, with its wackiness, idiosyncrasies, goofiness, and foibles, has died from prostate cancer that metastasized to his bones at the age of 68. Adams' death was announced on January 13 by his former wife, Shelly Miles, on the Coffee With Scott Adams livestream. She and Adams were married from 2006 to 2014.
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Adams' Former Wife Read a Statement He Wrote Shortly Before His Death
Miles, who fought back her emotions as she spoke, read a message from Adams that he wrote on January 1. The straightforward, no-nonsense tone reflects Adams' personality. It began, "If you are reading this, things did not go well for me. I have a few things to say before I go. My body failed before my brain. I am of sound mind as I write this, January 1st, 2026. If you wonder about any of my choices from my estate, or anything else, please know I am free of [unintelligible] or any inappropriate influence of any sort, I promise."
At the very end of his lefe, he apparently embraced religion. Adams added in part, "Next, many of my Christian friends have asked me to find Jesus before I go. I'm not a believer, but I have to admit, the risk/reward calculation for doing so looks so attractive to me. So here I go: I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, and look forward to spending an eternity with him. The part about me not being a believer should be quite quickly resolved if I wake up in Heaven. I won't need any more convincing than that. I hope I'm still qualified for entry."
'Dilbert's Legacy
Dilbert launched in 1989, per People. It was wildly popular. Employees identified with the sentiments expressed by the cartoon because it gave an unvarnished and humorous look at office life. Dilbert was in a similar vein as the sitcom The Office. At its peak of success, Dilbert "appeared in more than 1,000 newspapers in 32 countries...." It became a brand with greeting cards as well as books devoted to it.
But there was a snag that derailed Dilbert. Three years ago, Adams made what some considered racially-charged statements that did not sit well at all with the newspapers that published Dilbert. Many of them banished the cartoon from their pages. Adams simply went online with it. But his reputation took a big hit.
He Was Grateful for the Opportunities He Had and the Audience That Made It Worthwhile
The statement Shelly Miles read included this heartfelt comment from Adams. It was his valedictory of sorts. "I had an amazing life. I gave it everything I had. If I got any benefits from my work, I'm asking that you pay it forward, as best as you can. That's the legacy I want. Be useful and please know I loved you all to the very end."
