Scott Adams: Creator of the Dilbert Comic Strip Dies at 68

Scott Adams was an American cartoonist and author best known as the creator of Dilbert, the comic strip that satirized office life and corporate absurdity for millions of readers. Born on June 8, 1957, in Windham, New York, Adams worked in banking and telecommunications before his cubicle-world humor made him one of the most widely read cartoonists in the world.

Dilbert debuted in 1989 and grew into a worldwide phenomenon. Adams won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award in 1997 and the Orwell Award in 1998, and the Dilbert animated series won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1999. He also wrote best-selling business books and later became a political commentator.

Adams was married to Shelly Miles from 2006 to 2014 and to Kristina Basham from 2020 to 2022. He was battling stage IV prostate cancer when he died under hospice care at his home in Pleasanton, California, on January 13, 2026, at age 68. Remembered for turning the frustrations of the workplace into laughter, he gave the world characters like Dilbert, Dogbert and the Pointy-Haired Boss.

Achievements: Created the Dilbert comic strip (1989), won the Reuben Award (1997), received the Orwell Award (1998), won a Primetime Emmy Award for the Dilbert animated series (1999).

Birth: June 8, 1957 - Windham, New York.

Profession: Cartoonist, author and commentator.

Interesting Facts: In 1997 Adams posed as a management consultant in a wig and fake mustache to fool Logitech managers, a stunt that earned him the Orwell Award. The character Dogbert was loosely based on his family's late beagle, Lucy.