January 13, 2026, 8:50 p.mJanuary 13, 2026, 8:50 p.m
Scott Adams, here in 2006. (archive image)Image: keystone
The US artist Scott Adams, who became world famous with the comic character “Dilbert”, is dead. Adams died at the age of 68 in his home in the US state of California as a result of prostate cancer, his ex-wife Shelly Adams announced via YouTube. He fell asleep peacefully in the presence of his relatives.
Shelly Adams also read a pre-prepared message from her ex-husband: “I had a great life. I gave it my all.” US President Donald Trump expressed his condolences via his online mouthpiece Truth Social and praised Scott Adams as a “fantastic guy”. Adams had already made his illness public last year. Numerous US media reported on the comic artist’s death.
The first “Dilbert” comic appeared in 1989
Born in New York State in 1957, Adams worked as a manager at several US companies in the 80s and 90s. Meanwhile, he came up with the idea for a comic that satirically deals with the world of work in companies. He came up with “Dilbert” as the main character – with a short-sleeved shirt, tie and glasses. A “Dilbert” comic was first published in the USA in 1989, and later appeared around the world.
In recent years, Adams has made headlines primarily with derogatory, insulting and racist comments. As a result, he lost almost all comic orders in 2023 and then only self-published. Adams had always denied the allegations and emphasized that he felt misunderstood. At the same time, he repeated the statements in a similar form again and again in his podcast. (sda/dpa)