The 20 richest people on Earth lost a combined $11.3 billion yesterday…in their couch cushions.

Haha, just kidding. They lost it for realsies, on account of falling global markets and stalled European economic growth.

Bloomberg reports that Warren Buffett's personal fortune fell $407.3 million, dropping his net worth to a staggering[ly low] $43.9 billion.

Here is what $44 billion looks like written out: $44,000,000,000.

Lakshmi Mittal, chairman and chief executive officer of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company, saw his own fortune drop by $918 million—enough to bump him off the list of the world's 20 richest people (down to #21), which must be embarrassing for his kids.

Potters' fields across the globe are being readied for the influx of shallow-dug graves this news portends.

In a related story, my own personal fortune increased by $1.21 today, thanks to a combination of ingenuity, discounts, and judiciously applied CVS ExtraBucks.

[Image via Getty]