Scott Adams and Dilbert: How Workplace Satire Changed, and Ended

Scott Adams built a global phenomenon by turning everyday office misery into humour. His death at 68 closes a remarkable, controversial chapter, one that reshaped workplace satire and ended in deep public fracture. Here’s what matters.

Scott Adams built a global phenomenon by turning everyday office misery into humour. His death at 68 closes a remarkable, controversial chapter, one that reshaped workplace satire and ended in deep public fracture. Here’s what matters.

Who was Scott Adams?

Scott Adams was the creator of Dilbert, the iconic comic strip that skewered corporate life for more than three decades. He died on January 13, 2026, at age 68, after battling aggressive prostate cancer at his home in California.

Why did Dilbert resonate so widely?

Because it captured office life with brutal accuracy. First published in 1989, Dilbert portrayed workplaces as absurd bureaucracies where effort went unrewarded and incompetence rose upward. At its peak, the strip ran in 2,000 newspapers across 70 countries and 25 languages.

Where did Adams draw his inspiration from?

From lived experience. Adams worked at Pacific Bell through the 1980s and mined corporate frustration for humour. Dilbert’s engineer protagonist and the tyrannical “pointy-haired boss” became shorthand for dysfunctional management worldwide.

How successful did Dilbert become?

Extraordinarily. Adams won the Reuben Award in 1997 and Dilbert became the first fictional character to make Time magazine’s list of the most influential Americans. The franchise expanded into bestselling books, merchandise and a television series.

What was The Dilbert Principle?

Adams’ 1996 bestseller argued that the least competent workers are promoted into management to minimise damage, a satirical idea that entered business folklore and cemented his influence beyond comics.

Why was Dilbert dropped by newspapers?

In February 2023, newspapers cut ties after Adams made racist remarks on his YouTube channel, referring to Black people as a “hate group.” Major publishers and distributors immediately ended syndication, effectively cancelling the strip.

What happened after the cancellation?

Adams relaunched the comic as “Dilbert Reborn” on his website, losing an estimated 80% of his income. As his health declined, he could no longer draw and instead wrote scripts for others to illustrate.

How did his health deteriorate?

In May 2025, Adams revealed his cancer had spread to his bones. By January 2026, he told followers his prognosis was “essentially zero,” adding that he also suffered from heart failure and paralysis.

Did he undergo a personal transformation before death?

Yes. Shortly before dying, Adams—long agnostic—converted to Christianity, concluding that the potential upside of belief outweighed any downside. He revealed this decision in a final letter read publicly after his death.

How did public figures respond?

Former President Donald Trump praised Adams as a loyal early supporter, while Elon Musk called him a “good and great man.” Reactions reflected the same polarisation that defined Adams’ later years.

What is Scott Adams’ lasting legacy?

Dilbert permanently changed how office culture was discussed. Phrases like “pointy-haired boss” entered the global lexicon, and his work gave voice to millions of disillusioned workers—even as his personal views fractured his reputation.

(yMedia is the content partner for this story)