Cartoonist and Dilbert comic strip creator, Scott Adams, died following an arduous battle with cancer. He was 68. Adams’ ex-wife Shelly Miles broke the news of his death on YouTube on January 13, 2026. “Unfortunately, this isn’t good news. He’s not with us … anymore,” she said.
For months, Adams had been updating his fans and social media followers with his cancer journey. He disclosed his health struggles in May 2025, shortly after former President Joe Biden was revealed to have the same type of cancer.
Below, learn what Adams went through in his final months before he died and more about his cancer battle.
Who Is Scott Adams?
As previously noted, Adams was the creator of the famous Dilbert comic strip, which gained widespread prominence throughout the 1990s. First published in 1989, the comic strip satirized office work humor, set in a micromanaged white-collar office with an engineer named Dilbert.
How Scott Adams Died: His Cause of Death
Adams died following a battle with prostate cancer, which quickly spread to his bones.
BREAKING: “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams has passed away at the age of 68 after a long battle with prostate cancer.
Part of Scott’s Final Message: “Many of my Christian friends have asked me to find Jesus before I go… I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and look forward… pic.twitter.com/M1SvpW7pGM
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) January 13, 2026
When Was Scott Adams Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer?
He revealed his diagnosis in May 2025 on his podcast. “I have the same cancer that Joe Biden has. I also have prostate cancer that has also spread to my bones, but I’ve had it longer than he’s had it – well, longer than he’s admitted having it,” Adams said at the time. “So, my life expectancy is maybe this summer. I expect to be checking out from this domain sometime this summer.
By the end of that year, the cancer had spread to Adams’ spine, causing him to require a walker.
In January 2026, Adams said he had “no chance” of making a full recovery during an episode of his “Real Coffee with Scott Adams.”
“I talked to my radiologist yesterday, and it’s all bad news — the odds of me recovering are essentially zero,” he pointed out. “I’ll give you any updates if that changes, but it won’t. … So, there’s no chance that I’ll get my feeling back in my legs, and I’ve got some ongoing heart failure, which is making it difficult to breathe sometimes during the day. However, you should prepare yourself that January will probably be a month of transition, one way or another.”
Days before he died, Adams told fans in an online chat via X.com that he was “way past [his] expiration [date].”
“You can tell I’m getting weaker and weaker,” he explained. “I’ve been told that’s the way I’ll know how much time I have left is by how tired I am and how much pain I have. … My tiredness and my pain are maxing out.”
