Senator Marco Rubio is showing how seriously Republican party whales are taking him. Reuters is reporting that the Florida Senator has commitments to his PAC of over $40 million - and climbing.

"Marco Rubio will have the resources necessary to run a first-class campaign, that’s already been determined," said billionaire Florida auto dealer Norman Braman, a former Jeb Bush supporter who is now one of Rubio's highest-silhouette donors.

Annandale Capital founder George Seay, who is hosting a Rubio fundraiser with the moneyed Dallas elite at his 7,000-square-foot, seven-bath home on Tuesday, said: "Marco has had zero trouble raising money."

At least seven other Rubio mega donors say their candidate has already received monetary commitments in excess of the $40 million he will likely need to battle through a presidential primary season that will feature a crowd of seasoned Republican candidates with strong financial backing.

Rubio’s whirlwind money-raising comes after a network of Senator Ted Cruz super PACs raked in $31 million following Cruz's announcement in March that he was seeking the Republican presidential nomination.

The breakneck pace of the 2016 fundraising, most notably characterized by former Florida Governor Jeb Bush's reputed aim to raise $100 million, is emblematic of how much the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision unleashed an era of unfettered political spending by for-profit corporations and the rich, altering the financial calculus of campaigns.

At a time when a band of billionaires can single-handedly bankroll the politician of their choice through a super PAC, in some ways it's never been easier to raise money, signaling a phase that campaign-finance reformers fear will further concentrate political power in the hands of the deep-pocketed few.

The commitments to Rubio, Cruz and Bush ensure this Republican primary season will be long and bruising given that raising money is no longer the issue it once was.

It also makes the climate more perilous for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, who will be a target of criticism for a parade of Republican foes.

The Clinton campaign is said to be raising $2.5 billion, even while Clinton herself is calling for campaign finance reform.

Rubio will have plenty of cash, but it's what he has to say that will determine whether ordinary people take him seriously. So far, his personal story - compelling as it is - is what excites a lot of Republicans. But Rubio's task will be to convinvce conservatives that he stands with them on most issues, including immigration reform. The Senator's dalliance with Democrats on immigration still has many on the right simply not trusting him. It's generally believed that he must overcome that mistrust to have a fighting chance at the nomination.

Meanwhile, don't shed any tears for Jeb Bush for losing donors to Rubio. There are plenty more where they came from and Jeb - whose Blackberry has the most extensive list of donors and potential donors in the Republican party - won't be hurting for cash when his campaign gets underway.