MOSCOW, February 14 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin dismissed on Thursday media reports on his 'huge fortune' as "empty chatter and nonsense."

The outgoing president gave his final annual news conference, which was also a record four hours and 40 minutes long.

"As to rumors about my income ... this is empty chatter, it is not worth discussing, nonsense," Putin said responding to a foreign reporter who said his fortune is estimated to be the largest in Europe.

Putin described the nation's confidence in him as his major capital.

"I collect emotions. And I am a rich man, because the Russian people have twice entrusted me with control of such a great country as Russia. I consider this to be my largest capital," the president said.

Putin earlier expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to have worked for his country's benefit, and said it was unacceptable to think that the 'boss's chair' could belong to one person forever.

Putin also said he was satisfied with the results of his second term in office and stated that he had achieved all he had set out to do.

"I can see no serious failures, I have achieved all my goals and fulfilled every task," Putin said. "I have nothing to be ashamed of before the citizens who twice voted for me... I have worked as hard as a galley slave in the past eight years."

Vladimir Putin is widely expected to cede power after the March 2 presidential polls to his hand-picked successor, First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.