Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin announced on Wedneday that he is backing Marco Rubio's 2016 presidential campaign.

"I'm really excited to be supporting Marco Rubio. He will be the next president of the United States," said the founder of the Chicago-based firm Citadel during an interview with CNBC.

Griffin, who is considered to be the wealthiest person in Illinois with an estimated networth of $7 billion, said he plans to donate "several millions dollars" to Rubio's super-PAC.

Earlier this year, Griffin made campaign contributions of $100,000 each to super-PACs backing Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker before he dropped out of the race in September.

However, when asked what led him to support Rubio over Bush, Griffin replied, "I think that Marco Rubio has the vision of where America needs to go."

Griffin's announcement comes just weeks after the Florida senator received a major boost to his presidential bid from influential hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer. Unlike the majority of the conservative base, the 71-year-old billionaire supports same-sex marriage and the bipartisan effort that Rubio made to pass comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate in 2013.

The GOP congressman also scored a big endorsement from Republican Sen. Cory Gardner, who became the first senator to announce his support for Rubio's bid in the 2016 race last month.

"Today I am proud to announce my endorsement of Marco Rubio to be the president of the United States," Gardner said, according to Politico. "Our country needs a new generation of leadership and I believe Marco Rubio presents this nation with the greatest possibilities and opportunities to meet the challenges of this generation."