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 later appeared in books, an animated TV series, and a video game. However, in 2023, his comic strip was canceled by newspapers including the Washington Post after Adams was accused of making racist comments regarding black people.
Adams called black Americans a 'hate group' and suggested white Americans 'get the hell away from black people' in response to a conservative organization’s poll claiming many African-Americans do not believe it’s acceptable to be white. He later defended his comments, stating he had been using hyperbole and disavowed racists, claiming media reports misrepresented the context.
In response to his death, President Trump paid tribute to Adams, calling him a 'Great Influencer' and emphasizing his long battle against cancer.
A tearful Shelly shared Adams’ heartfelt message: '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.'
Adams also authored self-help books, including How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Win Bigly, Loserthink, and Reframe Your Brain.
He had been receiving end-of-life care after prostate cancer spread to his bones, and on January 1, he alerted listeners about his unlikely recovery chances.
